‘Abusive’ cabbie loses his licence

COUNCIL FINDS

A “VERBALLY abusive, aggressive and threatening” taxi driver has been banned from the job.

City councillors in Bristol revoked the man’s Hackney carriage driver’s licence and refused to renew his vehicle permit following an incident in Leicester, in January, and another at Temple Meads station in Bristol, in October.

Three incidents from 2018 were also considered by the council.

The man, referred to as AD, left the hearing, at Bristol’s City Hall, after giving his side of the story and handed in his taxi badge.

Minutes of the council’s public safety and protection sub-committee meeting said the driver told the panel the female passenger in Leicester “had become agitated and asked to leave the vehicle” and that he had let her out when it was safe.

The council’s senior neighbourhood enforcement officer told the panel the complainant had tried to report it to the police that day, January 11, and was “visibly upset on the video”.

The report said: “The sub-committee attached considerable weight to the complainant’s account and found AD to be verbally abusive, aggressive and threatening.

“The sub-committee found this incident alone gave cause to question whether AD is a fit and proper person to hold a licence.”

Councillors also watched a video of the incident at Temple Meads on October 31.

The minutes said: “The sub-committee has determined to revoke AD’s hackney carriage driver’s licence with immediate effect.

The report said bodycam footage from the Temple Meads incident showed he was also “verbally abusive, aggressive and threatening towards the taxi marshal”.

The decision said: “The sub-committee is no longer satisfied AD is a fit and proper person to hold a Hackney carriage driver’s licence.

“He has presented himself as completely unprofessional. The January incident on its own was sufficient for the sub-committee to reach its finding.

“However, it also looked at the previous case history of AD during his time as a licensed driver with the council, in particular three incidents in 2018, and had grave concerns about the pattern of misconduct and behaviour over a period of time.

“AD’s conduct falls far short of what is expected from licensed drivers and consideration must be given to the safety and protection of the public who engage taxi services.

“The sub-committee finds a clear connection between the recent incidents and the safety of the public which is such immediate revocation of the hackney carriage driver’s licence is just and proportionate.”

Councillors revoked his driver’s licence and refused his application to renew his vehicle licence because he was the only person insured to drive it.

AGGRESSIVE IN TWO INCIDENTS, REPORT TO A