A taxi driver in London has avoided a driving ban despite accumulating 12 points on his licence.
The unnamed man was spared the ban after attending Stratford Magistrates' Court to face a charge of driving while using a handheld mobile phone.
A Judge convicted the driver of the offence, hitting him with a fine and court costs totalling £512. Six penalty points were also added to the man's driving licence, which already had six points issued for a previous offence.
Once twelve points have been accumulated on a UK driving licence, in most cases the driver will face a disqualification, but on this occasion, citing "considerable hardship" the man avoided a ban.
The decision to allow the man to continue driving despite the twelve points has sparked criticism from lead Detective Superintendent for #VisionZero, Andy Cox, who is known for investigating fatal and serious road collisions, and tackling transport network crime across London.
Using his Twitter account - @SuptAndyCox - to air his views, Cox said: "Hmmm not impressed with this decision! The impact of phone distracted driving is proven to greatly raise the rim of fatal collisions creating devastation for victims & bereaved families (real hardship). CJ system needs to recognise wider impact. #Taxi #CabsUnit #Roadsafety #London."
TaxiPoint has approached the Metropolitan Police Service Roads & Transport Team for more details on the driver and what taxi licence he holds, and for further comment.
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