News / Transport
Taxi drivers let off for speeding, running red lights and using phones while driving
Taxi drivers in Bristol caught speeding, running red lights and using their phones while driving have been allowed to carry on picking up passengers. Bristol City Council is responsible for licensing taxi drivers yet is repeatedly being lenient to those committing multiple traffic offences.
Drivers play an important role in getting vulnerable people home safe, transporting disabled children to school, and protecting the public. Every month a group of three councillors hears concerns about dodgy drivers, and decides whether or not they should keep their taxi licence.
These meetings are held behind closed doors and the public and press are not allowed to observe what happens. But minutes of 11 months of meetings were recently published, with the names of drivers mostly redacted, showing how they can break the rules with little repercussion.
In June last year, for example, a driver referred to as HN was caught driving on West Street in Bedminster while using his phone on his lap. He was also caught in 2018 texting while driving and then almost hitting a pedestrian. His licence was suspended for a month.
The minutes said: “Members acknowledged the circumstances in which this offence occurred however considered this to be serious, noting that this could have had significant consequences. Members did however give consideration to the HN’s significant history as a licensed driver within the city, noting that his record was previously unblemished and this appeared to be an isolated incident.”
Analysis of 137 pages of minutes by the Local Democracy Reporting Service shows 14 drivers were caught speeding and still allowed to operate, sometimes with a short suspension. These included three drivers also using their phone, two closely passing cyclists, and one running a red light. One driver mounted the pavement and drove along it to avoid traffic.
A driver referred to PI claimed he mounted the pavement to get an “elderly lady to her medical appointment on time”. The law prevents driving on the pavement unless in an emergency. PI told the committee that driving on the pavement was just a “momentary lapse of judgement”.
Taxi drivers are generally split into two groups: hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. Hackney carriages are the blue taxis that you can hail on the street and which wait at ranks like Temple Meads. Private hire vehicles are usually booked via apps like Uber or Bolt. Both types need a licence from a council, with many drivers licensed outside of Bristol, like Wolverhampton.
All types of taxi require a license from a council, including ones booked through apps like Uber.
Lots of drivers in Bristol are licensed by South Gloucestershire Council, where similar concerns were raised in 2024 when a driver was suspended after 50 complaints. Despite his suspension, he carried on working and continued to pick up 1,000 more passengers.
Sometimes drivers are let off with no action, or have their licence suspended for a month or two. The minutes repeatedly state something along the lines of: “Members were therefore satisfied that on this occasion a licence could be renewed but noted that should a further appearance before committee occur, they would not be as lenient.”
Some drivers do get their licences revoked, or applications for licences refused. These include a driver who sexually assaulted a passenger, another who drove into a passenger after getting out of his car, and a third who made sexually inappropriate comments to a lone female passenger.
A driver referred to as KW picked up two university students for a two-stop trip, and dropped one of them off outside St Nick’s Market. As the passenger was crossing the road, he drove into him, knocking him over and resulting in a knee injury. KW then drove off and refused to give the other passenger his identification. He denied claims that he knocked over the first passenger.
Another driver called MH told a female passenger that he “couldn’t get a girlfriend” and that he “was a virgin because women can’t handle how big his dick is”. He later told the hearing he was a “happily married man with seven children”, and “would not risk his livelihood in this way”.
The lenient approach contrasts with the council’s stated ambitions to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Bristol’s roads to zero. Last year 142 people were killed or seriously injured. The council is also considering lowering the speed limit on 100 sections of roads from 30mph to 20mph, in a bid to make the roads safer, as slower speeds result in fewer casualties.
Another big ambition is shifting what mode of transport people use to more sustainable ways of getting around. Encouraging more people to walk, cycle or scoot would benefit the environment, cut congestion and clear up the city’s polluted air. But many people are put off from walking or cycling more often, due to how dangerous the roads are.
The council was asked why the committee often takes a lenient approach to regulating taxi drivers. In response, the councillor in charge said the committee follows national standards. Meanwhile, an upcoming road safety strategy will also include options on making taxis safer.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Sarah Classick, chair of the public safety and protection committee, said: “Elected members make their decisions on whether to suspend or revoke a taxi licence based on the reports and any evidence presented during a hearing.
“The council’s licensing policy strictly follows the government’s statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards that set out recommendations to licensing authorities on offences and behaviours which should be considered when determining whether a licence is suspended or revoked. This policy acts as a guide for members during decision making.”
All photos: Martha Fiddick
Read next:
Our newsletters emailed directly to you
