Cabbie May Lose Licence
2nd September 2008
A cabbie who carried on driving after he was suspended faces losing his licence tomorrow.
The city council's licensing committee will rule tomorrow on the case of Darren Willmer.
In April his hackney carriage licence was suspended for three months after the council learned he had been convicted the previous April of driving without insurance and fined £150, with £35 costs and three penalty points. He already had six points for speeding and driving with a defective tyre.
In July the council discovered he had not complied with the suspension imposed by the licensing committee.
The owner of his taxi said Mr Willmer had taken no time off from hiring it and Mr Willmer admitted that he had not surrendered his licence.
Mr Willmer has held both private hire and hackney carriage licences in Plymouth.
In 2003, while a probationary cabbie, he was banned for 18 months for drink-driving.
When the ban expired in April 2005 members agreed to give him a second chance, but a month later he received three points for speeding, and the licensing department subsequently discovered he had driven with a defective tyre and without insurance.
Licensing officers say they are concerned about Mr Willmer's suitability to hold a licence to drive either hackney carriages or private hire vehicles.
Source; thisisplymouth.co.uk