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BABERGH SAYS ‘NO’ TO LICENSED DRIVER
Summary
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A Holbrook-based private hire driver yesterday (August 6) had his application for a vehicle operator licence turned down by Babergh’s Licensing Sub-Committee, following his admission of an offence of operating without an operator’s licence between November 2008 and June 2009.
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A Holbrook-based private hire driver yesterday (August 6) had his application for a vehicle operator licence turned down by Babergh’s Licensing Sub-Committee, following his admission of an offence of operating without an operator’s licence between November 2008 and June 2009.
Roger Lowe of Holbrook, licensed as a driver only in the Babergh district, had been operating unlawfully under the trading name of "Home2AirportUK" since late 2008. Complaints had been received by Babergh’s Licensing Team that Mr Lowe had been seen advertising and using an unlicensed vehicle, and subsequent investigation by Babergh’s enforcement team confirmed that this was indeed the case. Following an interview Mr Lowe accepted a caution on 29th July 2009 for an offence of unlicensed operation.
Mr Lowe’s belated application for an operator licence, following discovery of the offence, was then unanimously rejected by Babergh’s Licensing Sub-Committee on August 6. Councilors were not satisfied that Mr Lowe is a fit and proper person to operate his own private hire business in view of his previous conduct and non-compliance.
According to Lee Carvell, Babergh’s Licensing Officer, this offence could have had serious implications for any member of the public using his services. “Before any licences are granted thorough safety and suitability checking is conducted by Babergh’s Licensing Team. Equally, driving a vehicle without the appropriate licences invalidates any existing insurance policy. Disregard for these requirements clearly puts the public at significant risk. I would also urge the public to make sure they are engaging taxi services that are properly licensed by the Council. These can be found on Babergh’s website at www.babergh.gov.uk”.
James Buckingham, Principal Environmental Protection Officer with Babergh District Council, said “there are public safety issues associated with unlicensed taxi operations. The Council is responsible for regulating Hackney Carriages and private hire vehicles. In cases such as this, all the safety measures we have in place are bypassed and the Council is unable to check that individuals and vehicles are safe and suitable or that the proper insurance is in place”.
“We are pleased by the outcome of this hearing as it also sends out a strong message to anyone else thinking of putting profit before the safety of passengers” added Mr Buckingham.
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Last updated on: 07 August 2009 | Date of next review: 07 August 2010
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