Driver loses taxi licence over sexual comments

A TAXI driver who begged female passengers not to report him for making repeated sexual remarks has had his private hire licence withdrawn.

Sandwell councillors refused to renew the unnamed man’s permit at a closed meeting of the borough’s licensing committee after hearing he had since been convicted of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour.

Minutes of the August meeting of the licensing sub-committee showed the driver – referred to only as Mr L H – had picked up the women outside Birmingham’s New Street Station in February, offering to drive them to Lichfield for £35.

During the journey he made indecent and inappropriate comments towards the passengers and allegedly unplugged a camera inside the vehicle.

They asked him several times to stop and later told police they did nothing to encourage the behaviour. When women got out of the car, they took a photograph of the vehicle’s licence plate, at which point he pleaded with them not to report him. He also knocked on the door of the house where he had dropped off the passengers and begged the mother not to let her daughter call the police as he did not want to lose his licence.

He was later arrested before being convicted in June of using threatening or abusive words or behaviour likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

Through his solicitor Mr L H admitted to councillors he did engage in inappropriate discussions with the passengers and he apologised to the passengers and their family for his behaviour.

Members of the committee were told that in June last year he was allowed to keep his private hire licence after he was cleared of an alleged sexual assault by a court but was cautioned by councillors about his future conduct.

After taking advice from their legal adviser, councillors refused to renew his taxi permit saying he was not a fit and proper person and he had exhibited inappropriate behaviour.