SCHOOL TRANSPORT: Driver fined for carrying children on school run without taxi licence — despite earlier warning
A driver has been fined for carrying children on a school run without the required taxi driver’s licence — despite having been formally warned about driving unlicensed a year earlier.
David Rhydian Thomas, of Windy Corner Coaches, was convicted at Llanelli Magistrates’ Court following a prosecution brought by Carmarthenshire Council.
The court heard Thomas conveyed children on a school run on five occasions between 1 and 8 October last year, driving a licensed private hire vehicle without holding the Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Dual Driver’s Licence required to be behind the wheel.
The vehicle itself was licensed — but Thomas was not licensed to drive it.
The court also heard he had previously received a formal warning, in October 2024, for driving a licensed vehicle while unlicensed — but further offences were committed despite the warning.
Thomas pleaded guilty by post. He was fined £666 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £266 and costs of £1,762 — a total of £2,694.
The conviction, handed down on 17 April, was announced by the council on Wednesday.
The dual licence allows a driver to operate both hackney carriages and private hire vehicles, and is a legal requirement for anyone driving a licensed vehicle — including on school transport contracts.
Drivers must meet a series of standards before a council will grant the licence, with the system designed to protect passengers.
Cllr Aled Vaughan Owen, the council’s cabinet member with responsibility for enforcement, said the safety of children and the wider public was the council’s “absolute priority”.
“Licensed drivers are required to meet strict standards designed to protect passengers, particularly when transporting school children,” he said.
“This case sends a clear message that we take breaches of licensing regulations very seriously and will not hesitate to take enforcement action where necessary.”
The council said its licensing team continues to work to ensure all drivers, vehicles and operators comply with legal requirements across the county.
#CarmarthenshireCountyCouncil #court #LlanelliMagistratesCourt #schoolTransport #Taxi #WindyCornerCoaches
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