Councillors said they ‘did not find credible’ the potential driver’s denial of the allegations
A man’s application for a taxi licence has been blocked because councillors were concerned about the the ‘risk to the travelling public’.
A meeting on Bolton council’s licensing committee considered a man’s application to drive a private hire vehicle. Recently published minutes of the meeting stated the committee had been made aware the applicant, who was not named, had been arrested on suspicion of serious, violent offences.
The report said: “The applicant was arrested in 2022 for a section 47 assault and non fatal strangulation following his wife’s complaint to the police. His wife subsequently wanted no action taken.
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“The committee found that on the balance of probabilities a serious incident did occur. The applicant denied the allegation which the committee did not find credible.”
The report said the committee was concerned at the risk to the travelling public and so found that there was reasonable cause to refuse to grant the application.
At the same meeting, held on January 6, a different taxi driver was handed an eight-week suspension after failing to report that he had been convicted of a mobile phone breach.
The published minutes read: “The driver had a conviction from December, 2024 for breach of requirements as to control of the vehicle mobile phones, which due to the six penalty points was treated as a major traffic offence under the council statement of fitness and suitability.
“Normally in such circumstances the licence would be revoked. The driver also breached the conditions of his licence by not reporting the above conviction on time and the committee also noted the driver’s previous attendance at this committee and a previous warning letter regarding breach of conditions.”
The licensing committee decided they had ‘reasonable cause to suspend the licence to drive a private hire vehicle for a period of eight weeks’. Neither of the individuals were named by the council in the published minutes.