Taxi drivers in Leeds who accumulate seven points on their licence could be required to attend a training course to improve their driving standards and road safety awareness.
That’s under new plans unveiled by Leeds City Council’s licensing committee on 9 August.
At present, taxi drivers can accrue 12 points on their licence before any action is taken. However, the council is reviewing its policy on minor motoring convictions due to statutory guidance issued by the DfT.
It proposes that if a current licence holder accumulates seven or eight points, they would receive a warning and could be required to attend a driver training course.
If they reach nine points or more, their licence would be reviewed on an individual basis, and they may be required to attend training. If they have already received training, revocation of their licence could be considered.
For any new applications for a taxi and private hire drivers’ licence, licences will not be granted if the driver has already accrued seven or more points for minor motoring convictions.
The council says its recommended set of standards would affect less than 1.5% of all current licence holders in the city, with more than 80% currently having no points on their licence whatsoever.
Cllr James Gibson, chair of the licensing committee, said: “I believe the proposal we have recommended to executive board strikes the right balance between protecting the travelling public and proactively supporting the taxi and private hire trade across Leeds, through the introduction of additional training and the consideration of cases on individual basis at the nine-point threshold.
“I also believe that the proposed amendments are also a fair reflection of the consultation work that has been ongoing to ensure the voices of both the trade and travelling public are fairly reflected in the outcome of any changes in the licensing standards.”
Comment on this story