Sophie Evans was instructed by Mid Sussex District Council in an appeal by a taxi driver of the revocation of his hackney carriage licence.  The decision of the Council’s Licensing Committee was upheld.  The driver was found not to be a “fit and proper” person to hold a hackney carriage licence following breaches of the Equality Act 2010, mistreatment of a vulnerable adults including an 81 year old passenger, and witness intimidation.

The definition of what constitutes a “fit and proper” person to hold a taxi driver’s licence is not set in law, but the suggested test established by case law is “Would you allow your son, daughter, mother, spouse or other person you care about get into this vehicle with this person alone?”