Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were intimated from Councillors Gordon Blair, Mary-Jean Devon and George Freeman.

None declared.

The Chair welcomed everyone to the meeting and introductions were made.  Thereafter the Chair outlined the procedure that would be followed and invited the Applicant to speak in support of his Application.

 

Applicant

 

Mr McDonald advised that he has a family to support and was presently unemployed.  He advised that he has always worked and that there were not many jobs in the area.  He advised that he was applying for a taxi driver’s licence as he has been offered a job as a taxi driver and that this was something he thought he would be able to do.

 

The Chair then asked the Police if they had any questions.  Inspector Watson advised that he had no questions.  The Chair then invited Inspector Watson to speak regarding the representation made by Strathclyde Police.

 

Police

 

Inspector Watson advised that the Police had no objections to this Application however he would like to advise that they had some concerns about a speeding conviction Mr McDonald had incurred quite some time ago when he was caught driving at 41 mph in a 30 mph zone which was just outside the criteria for being brought before the Lord Advocate.  He advised that in the role of taxi driver Mr McDonald would not only be driving for himself but would be responsible for the passengers he was carrying and that it was important that he realised that the maximum speed allowed was not necessarily a safe speed to drive and that this should be determined by the road conditions.  He advised that Mr McDonald has held a driving licence for 21 years and that in all this time he only had 3 points on his licence and that the Police had no objection to the Committee granting Mr McDonald his taxi driver’s licence.

 

The Chair invited the Applicant to ask questions.

 

As the Applicant had no questions the Chair invited Members to ask questions.

 

Members’ Questions

 

Councillor Kinniburgh asked why Mr McDonald had only declared 2 convictions on his application form when the Police had information regarding 4 convictions.

 

Mr McDonald advised that as one of his convictions was admonished he thought he did not need to declare it.  He advised that in relation to the other conviction he had not referred to this because he had forgotten all about that one.

 

The Chair invited the Applicant and the Police to sum up.

 

Sum Up

 

Applicant

 

Mr McDonald advised that he was not a dangerous person and that he was a decent person.  He acknowledged that he had made mistakes in the past and that he had learnt from these and that he was a responsible driver.

 

Police

 

Inspector Watson advised that he had nothing further to add and that he had noted that Mr McDonald had acknowledged the mistakes he had made.

 

The Chair invited the Applicant and Police to confirm they had received a fair hearing and they both confirmed this to be the case.

 

Decision

 

Agreed to grant a taxi driver’s licence to Mr Paul McDonald.

 

(Reference: Report by Head of Governance and Law, submitted)