Urgent Driver/Operator/Vehicle Sub Committee - 20 March 2026

**Chairmanship and Meeting Procedure**

The meeting began with a motion, moved by Councillor Batters and seconded by Councillor J Martin, to elect Councillor O’Keefe as Chairman for the session. No declarations of interest were recorded. The Chairman, with a second from Councillor J Martin, resolved that the press and public be excluded from the consideration of a specific item of business under the Local Government Act 1972, on the basis that the material involved exempt information relating to an individual.

**Licensing Application Review**

The Committee examined a pre‑circulated report from the Licensing Officer concerning an application for the review of a Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle driver’s licence (Applicant WD225). The applicant and a representative were allowed to speak and answered questions from the Committee. After discussion, the Chairman, seconded by Councillor Batters, resolved that WD225’s licence be suspended for three months.

**Reasons for Suspension**

The Committee noted that WD225 had initially been granted a Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licence on 25 November 2022, with a renewal issued on 25 November 2025 set to expire on 24 November 2028. A warning letter dated 13 January 2026 had been issued after the driver accrued five penalty points for a speed‑limit offence (conviction 9 December 2025, offence 22 December 2024). The Committee also considered a professional allegations meeting held on 12 March 2026, during which a video recorded by three children on a school contract (2 March 2026) showed the driver discussing drug use, sex workers, and using expletive language. The transcript of the conversation was reviewed, and the driver’s employer was notified, resulting in the driver’s suspension from school contracts.

**Driver’s Representation and Outcome**

During the hearing, the driver represented herself, acknowledging that the conversation with the children was inappropriate and offering an apology. She explained that the discussion arose after a child asked whether she had ever been to Amsterdam and said she had “let her guard down.” The Committee accepted the representation and, based on the combined evidence of the warning letter, the video transcript, and the driver’s admission, confirmed the three‑month licence suspension. The decision was recorded as the final outcome for the licence review.