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Courts issue fine for Gedling taxi driver for using vehicle without valid licence

Date Posted: 11:47 AM on Fri, 26 February 2021

His taxi driver licence had expired and the renewal process had not been completed.

A taxi driver has been prosecuted this week by Gedling Borough Council at Nottingham Magistrates Court on 22 February 2021, for continuing to drive his taxi despite not holding a valid Gedling Borough Council taxi driver’s licence.

The driver was approached after the Gedling Borough Council’s Licensing Officers spotted the vehicle parked on Hayden Road, Sherwood. After carrying out additional checks, it became apparent that the registered driver of the vehicle did not hold a current taxi driver licence.  

When contacted, the driver claimed, he believed he was allowed to drive the vehicle as he had submitted his application, despite his current badge being out of date. A letter from the council had previously been sent to the driver stating that he must allow up to 15 working days for the license to be issued while checks are made to the application.

The driver was found guilty of driving without a valid licence by the courts and ordered to pay a £50 fine and costs of £678.

Councillor David Ellis, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection said;

“Any driver or vehicle must go through the correct application process, including a number of checks to ensure that it is safe, legal and appropriate for a taxi vehicle or taxi driver licence to be issued.

We notify existing drivers of timescales for renewals and it is their responsibility to ensure that their licence does not expire before a renewal license is issued, in the same way you’d expect for your own car insurance or road tax for example.

This process is in place to ensure that anyone who gets into a Gedling Borough Council licensed vehicle will be driven by someone who meets the standards required of them.

The vast majority of our drivers already follow this process but wherever there is a breach of these requirements we will take the appropriate legal action.”