Six penalty points could see TfL REVOKE taxi licence, but bus drivers can APPLY with same number

A taxi driver representative has publicly queried why taxi drivers risk having their taxi licence REVOKED with just six penalty points to their name, yet a new applicant for a London bus driver can APPLY for a job with the same number of points.

Taxi drivers in the capital have shown they dismay at a new driver policy change that could see their licences SUSPENDED or REVOKED for toting up just 6 driver’s licence penalty points.

United Cabbies Group’s (UCG) General Secretary questioned the logic of the change when comparing Transport for London’s (TfL) other publicly hired mode of transport; the bus.

Go-Ahead London are currently looking for new apprentice Bus Drivers. Those applying must have a UK driving licence (category B) for a minimum of 6 months and no more than 6 Penalty points on their licence.

Under new rules, taxi drivers who receive convictions for certain offences such as using a mobile phone or who tot up 12-penalty points on their DVLA driving licence will be at risk of having their TfL taxi licence revoked.

The changes include:

• For an offence of driving without reasonable consideration, if the courts award 6 or more points, the penalty from TfL could be a licence revocation. If the courts gave less than 6 points TfL could issue a three-month licence suspension.

• For an offence of using a handheld mobile phone, which carries a mandatory 6 points TfL could revoke a licence.

• More than one conviction for a major driving offence within the last five years would merit a licence refusal and no further application would be considered until at least seven years after the most recent conviction.

• Any driver accumulating nine or more penalty points will receive a warning that incurring additional points is likely to result in the loss of their taxi licence.

• Licensed taxi drivers who accumulate 12 penalty points on or after 20 December 2021 will have their taxi licence suspended for six months regardless of whether they are disqualified from driving and lose their DVLA driving licence or not.

Trevor Merralls, UCG General Secretary, said: “So you can drive a publicly hired bus with 6 points, but you can’t drive a publicly hired taxi with 6 points. And it gets better they’re going to ban you for 7 years.”