Torbay Taxi Driver Given Formal Warning After Three Speeding Tickets

A Torbay taxi driver has been handed a formal written warning after collecting three speeding tickets in nine months — including two caught by the same controversial camera in Newton Abbot just four days apart.

The unnamed driver appeared before a meeting of Torbay Council’s regulatory sub-committee on 2 April, where members reviewed his dual Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licence following three separate speeding offences recorded between December 2024 and September 2025. Each one earned him three penalty points, bringing his total to nine — the trigger for a “fit and proper person” review under the council’s licensing policy.

Two of the three offences were picked up by the much-criticised new camera on the A383 Ashburton Road in Newton Abbot — the same camera that has caught nearly 6,000 drivers in its first three months of operation. The committee heard the driver wasn’t aware of the first ticket when he was caught a second time, with the speed limit having recently been reduced from 40mph to 30mph. He explained he was on a new school run and hadn’t sped intentionally.

Committee members also raised concerns about the driver’s lack of awareness of his reporting obligations under the council’s taxi licensing policy. He admitted he hadn’t been fully familiar with the requirement to notify the licensing authority of traffic offences within 48 hours, which the committee viewed as a compliance failure. The hearing also touched on issues about parking outside designated zones and refusing a fare to an intoxicated woman with a child.

In their report, councillors said “members felt that the respondent appreciated the gravity of these offences occurring in the course of his professional duty.” He kept his licence but received the formal written warning.

The Ashburton Road camera itself has become a real flashpoint. The fixed device was installed after complaints from residents about speeding and safety, backed by Teignbridge District Council, Devon County Council, the Devon and Cornwall Police Road Safety Team, and the Vision Zero South West partnership. The site is within 300 metres of a children’s play park, family centre and sheltered accommodation, and there have been nine injury collisions on the road in the last five years.

Critics aren’t convinced. Conservative councillor Phil Bullivant tabled a motion at Teignbridge District Council questioning whether the camera met national standards for installation, citing concerns it was “almost invisible” and screened by vegetation. He told the meeting a member of his own family had been ticketed for driving past it at 34mph — just one mph above the Association of Chief Police Officers’ suggested 35mph enforcement threshold. The motion was rejected.

Council leader Richard Keeling (Lib Dem, Chudleigh) gave a blunt response to the criticism: “The simple answer is, don’t speed on that road.”

For taxi and private hire drivers everywhere, this case is a useful reminder. Three points might feel like a minor inconvenience for an ordinary motorist, but for a licensed driver it’s a step closer to a licensing review — and getting to nine points means a serious conversation with your local authority about whether you’re still fit to hold the badge. Failing to report offences within the required window is also treated as a compliance issue in its own right, separate from the offences themselves.

The Ashburton Road camera isn’t going anywhere. If you’re working that route, slow down — and check your council’s reporting requirements while you’re at it.

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