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Posted on the 13th November 2024 in PHTM News
CASTLE POINT PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER HAS LICENCE REVOKED FOR MAKING WOMAN FEEL THREATENED
A private driver who made a lone woman feel “extremely uncomfortable and threatened”, after she asked for directions in the street, has lost his licence.
Castle Point Council decided to revoke the driver’s licence after a complaint was made about the incident during which “the driver’s behaviour and line of questioning left the lone female feeling fearful and nervous.”
The incident occurred on 23 August when the woman approached the driver to ask for directions. The driver, however, engaged her in a series of questions about her personal details, including her address and phone number.
The woman felt uncomfortable and quickly left the scene.
During a council hearing on 24 September, the driver claimed he was simply trying to identify a missing passenger as the job listed did not show a name. He said he slowed the vehicle to ask the person, who appeared to be looking around.
The driver said he didn’t know whether he was looking for a male or female passenger.
The driver did accept his questioning could have made the passenger fearful and during a separate interview the driver also admitted he was looking for a male customer.
However, the council's driver's panel found that "his behaviour and line of questioning left the lone female feeling fearful and nervous."
“The panel found on the balance of probability, and given that the driver was at the time looking for his fare whom he admitted was a male passenger and that his attention could have placed the complainant in a position where she felt in fear for her personal safety and the fact that the complaint was raised in the first place, it was likely the events did happen as described by the complainant."
The council's licensing officer emphasised the importance of public safety and the responsibility of private hire drivers to maintain a professional conduct.
The panel concluded that the driver's behaviour fell short of these standards and revoked his licence.
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