A private hire driver in Paisley has reportedly lost his licence after arriving to collect two female passengers with an unexplained second man sitting in the front of the vehicle.
The incident happened on 27 January after Laura Hegart, 50, and her 26-year-old daughter booked a vehicle following an evening out in Paisley.
According to reports published by Glasgow Live and the Mirror, the booked private hire vehicle arrived with two men inside rather than only the licensed driver.
Ms Hegart said she initially believed the vehicle may have been collecting somebody else before contacting the driver and confirming that it was her booking.
She said that when she challenged the presence of the second man, she was told that he was there to train the driver.
Ms Hegart refused to enter the vehicle and contacted the booking office to report what had happened.
She also arranged for her daughter to photograph the vehicle’s registration details before the car left.
Renfrewshire Cabs later confirmed to the media that the driver involved was no longer working with the company.
The operator said passenger safety was its priority and described the individual as a newly registered driver who had joined shortly before the incident.
Ms Hegart subsequently took her complaint to Renfrewshire Council.
She told Glasgow Live that the driver’s licence had now been removed following the council process, although DM News has not identified a separate public statement from Renfrewshire Council confirming the individual licensing decision.
Renfrewshire Council is responsible for licensing taxi and private hire drivers operating under its authority and publishes conditions and guidance for licence holders.
For taxi and private hire operators looking to manage bookings, drivers and customer enquiries through one system, DM Taxi Assistant provides an affordable booking and dispatch platform for the trade.
The case highlights the importance of passengers being able to identify who is operating a licensed vehicle and to challenge anything that appears inconsistent with the booking they were expecting.
Private hire journeys differ from hackney carriage taxi journeys because they must normally be pre-booked through a licensed operator, which creates a record linking the booking, vehicle and driver.
Operators also have an important safeguarding role when complaints are raised about driver conduct or unusual circumstances surrounding a journey.
Ms Hegart said the incident had a lasting effect on her daughter, who became reluctant to use taxis unless accompanied by one of her parents.
She also questioned why the licensing process had taken several months to reach an outcome.
No allegation of a physical assault has been reported in connection with the incident.
The concerns instead centred on the unexplained presence of another man inside the booked vehicle and whether this was appropriate during a private hire passenger collection.
Passengers who have concerns about a licensed taxi or private hire driver can normally report the matter both to the operator that accepted the booking and to the relevant licensing authority.
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Sources
Glasgow Live – Taxi Driver Who Left Paisley Mum Terrified After Turning Up With Mystery Man Banned
Mirror – Taxi Driver Who Left Mum Terrified With Mystery Passenger Has Licence Removed
