he's called steve but it's not me
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14 PENALTY POINTS - AND STILL DRIVING HIS TAXI
12:00 - 03 November 2004
A Plymouth taxi-driver has been allowed to keep his private hire licence despite having 14 penalty points on his driving licence - two over the legal limit.
Plymouth City Council's licensing committee was told that Steven Harwood had been caught speeding three times in the last 12 months and in September was fined £250 and given five penalty points after jumping a red light and colliding with another vehicle - while having a paying passenger in the cab.
All the offences were committed in the year after the 26-year-old was granted his taxi licence in November, 2003.
After accumulating the 14 points, Harwood was summoned to the courts but was allowed to keep his driving licence because to lose it would have caused him 'exceptional hardship' as he would lose his job and already had severe debts.
Licensing committee councillors decided yesterday to suspend Harwood for two weeks, after which he will be allowed to carry passengers again. At the licensing committee meeting, councillor Eddie Rennie said: "We are disgusted with the disrespect you have shown to your badge as a driver and the disregard for the safety of the public.
"But in your favour you have said you are sorry and you are going to take steps to improve. We hope you will keep your word."
When asked by the committee why the council should allow him to keep his licence, Harwood said: "I have cleaned up my act, I won't be doing this again. I am gutted in myself for what I have done. I love my job and I want to keep it."
A report to the committee outlined the four offences committed by Mr Harwood in the first six months of his career as a taxi-driver. He was given his licence on November 6, 2003.
He has been caught speeding three times, collecting a total of nine points and £260 in fines.
In February he went through a red traffic light in Plymouth with a passenger and was involved in a crash. No one was injured and on September 6 Mr Harwood pleaded guilty to driving without due care and attention and was fined £250 and penalised a further five points.
The report to the committee said: "In endorsing the driving licence of Mr Harwood the courts decided not to impose a period of disqualification which would have ordinarily taken place once 12 points had been imposed, as this would have caused him exceptional hardship."
