Southampton City Council's Licensing (General) Sub-Committee revoked a hackney carriage driver's licence on Wednesday 28 October 2026. The hearing at the Civic Centre was called to decide whether the licence holder remained a fit and proper person. He is not named. The papers for the hearing were marked confidential. Hackney carriage driver hearing
The Daily Echo reported the outcome. The sub-committee's greatest concern was the taxi camera. Members found that the driver had deliberately moved the camera into a position that made it inoperative.
"This was a deliberate act.
"There is no excuse for a deliberate action which makes the camera inoperable."
The sub-committee found the explanation unconvincing and decided that neither a warning nor a suspension was sufficient. Correctly operating taxi cameras were "fundamental to public safety". The driver has a statutory right of appeal to the magistrates' court.
The Heathrow journey
The camera came to the council's attention after a complaint about a journey on 11 July from the Port of Southampton to a hotel at Heathrow Airport. The passenger alleged that the meter showed around £210, and that the driver then demanded £300, citing a surcharge for more than four passengers.
The driver disputed that account. On his version, passengers had been told about the surcharge beforehand. He denied using his phone or driving recklessly.
What the footage showed
Licensing officers examined the vehicle's CCTV and found the camera had been obscured for four days, so footage from that period could not be used. An officer's report recorded the driver pushing the camera on its axis. He could provide no explanation, and offered no reason for doing it.
He later maintained that the movement was accidental, and that he had believed it was permissible to obscure the camera while using the licensed vehicle privately.
The complaint record
A further complaint, about another journey, alleged double charging, "overselling" and the driver's behaviour. He disputed that complaint as well.
Since the council's complaint system began in 2013, 17 entries had been recorded about the driver and his vehicle, including claims of overcharging, aggression and refusing fares. The same records included a compliment from street pastors for support he had offered.
The sub-committee described the number of complaints as "more than would normally be expected", and as showing "a pattern of behaviour regarding interactions with customers leading to complaints".