Peterborough magistrates’ court has dismissed an appeal of East Cambridgeshire District Council’s revocation of a private hire and hackney carriage licence.

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.

Central to the Council’s success in defending the appeal 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.

The Council’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.

The Council was awarded its full costs.

Olivia Davies acted for East Cambridgeshire District Council.