Magistrates’ court rejects appeal over revocation of private hire licence

East Cambridgeshire District Council has successfully defended a driver’s appeal over the revocation of a private hire and hackney carriage licence.

According to Cornerstone Barristers, the revocation decision was made by the council’s licensing sub-committee following four incidents, including a near miss with a pedestrian and repeated failures to offer reasonable assistance to passengers with mobility issues.

The set said that central to the council’s success in defending the appeal at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court was the previous suspension of the driver’s licence only three years before the revocation.

“This demonstrated a pattern of non-compliance, leading the court to agree that the sub-committee was not wrong to conclude that nothing less than revocation would be effective to ensure public safety.”

Cornerstone said East Cambridgeshire’s defence of the appeal relied entirely on hearsay evidence of the relevant incidents.

“The outcome shows that hearsay is no bar to successfully defending a taxi licensing appeal if the council ensures that all the relevant documentary evidence (such as contemporaneous written complaints) is before the court when the appeal is heard,” it added.

East Cambridgeshire was awarded its full costs.

Olivia Davies of Cornerstone Barristers acted for the district council.