Cheltenham Borough Council revoke taxi driver's licence for safety concerns
Their vehicle was found to have bald tyres, putting passengers at risk
A Cheltenham taxi driver has had their licence revoked by the Borough Council, following safety concerns.
The private hire driver was referred after a vehicle compliance check last month - during the Cheltenham Festival race week, one of the busiest times of the year in the town.
An inspection by officers from the Borough Council and Avon and Somerset Police, found both front tyres of the driver’s vehicle were found to be below the legal limit of 1.6mm, with one as low as 0.6mm.
Due to the serious public safety concerns posed by the bald tyres, the driver was referred to the committee for a review of their licence.
At the committee, members raised concerns about the impact of low tread depth on stopping distances; a history of problems with the tyres noted during MOT tests; and that the driver had not been carrying out regular checks of his vehicle to a level expected of licence holders.
The committee unanimously decided the issue was not acceptable and revoked the licence.
Michelle Bignell, manager of licensing and public protection at Cheltenham Borough Council, said:
“The decision by the licensing sub-committee demonstrates the council’s commitment to public safety and that members will not tolerate a lack of regard to high standards that licence holders should demonstrate in terms of vehicle safety.
“All licence holders should conduct daily checks to ensure that their vehicles are safe to carry members of the public.”