Private hire driver’s licence suspended after pick-up
A PRIVATE hire driver has been suspended after driving three young women after a kerbside pick-up.
Alan Meechan claims he was trying to be a Good Samaritan because the women were stuck and he would hope someone would ‘do the same for his daughter’.
But licensing bosses were unimpressed at Mr Meechan’s failure to follow policy.
Mr Meechan, who has been driving for 20 years, was parked outside Queen Street station in July this year when a young woman approached him asking how much it would be to take she and two friends home.
She had already approached a taxi driver who said the price would be between £40 and £60.
Mr Meechan agreed to take the group to Hamilton for £18.
He appeared before the licensing board yesterday morning.
Mr Meechan said: “My priority was to get the girls home safely and away from the city centre.
“If one of the girls was my daughter I would like to think someone else in my position would do the same thing.
“When I got them home safe and sound I knew I had done my job, even though I know I shouldn’t have done it. “It was quiet that night. “One of the girls came running up to me and said the taxi driver was going to cost between £40 and £60.
“I said I would not charge that much and they got in.”
Councillor Martha Wardrop said: “You have been a driver for 20 years and know that you can only take a passenger if they pre-book.
“Had you followed the rules you could have got the job anyway.”
Members agreed to suspend Mr Meechan’s licence for two weeks.