A taxi driver received eight penalty points on his licence for talking on his mobile phone while driving.
The licensed Rother driver was spotted by an off duty police constable taking a booking for a fare while driving a passenger on the busy A20 in London.
He appeared before the Rother Council's Taxi Licensing Panel and admitted talking on his mobile while driving for over 10 seconds and at the same time writing down an 11-digit telephone number.
He explained his hands-free device had not been working.
The Panel Chairman, Councillor Wendy Miers, told the driver he needed to find a safer way of taking bookings.
Drivers who accumulate 12 penalty points in a year are automatically referred back to the Panel for consideration as to whether they are a fit and proper person to continue to hold a hackney carriage licence and run the risk of losing their licence altogether.
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