Question: I have a police record as a juvenile involving a stolen car. I am now 31 years old . I also have several speeding tickets in the past three or fours year. Do I have to tell the Hackney police about them and will it stop me from getting a cab license? — Michael of Charlestown, Mass.
Answer: The Boston Hackney Division’s “Drivers’ Standards” spell out the regulations quite clearly. Paragraphs nine, 10 and 13 deal with your issues. Paragraph 13 specifically states you must not have been convicted of a felony in last five years, although there are certain felonies that this rule does not apply to, for instance, sex crimes. The issue of the stolen car was more than five years ago and therefore would not be a problem in your obtaining a Hackney license.
Your moving violation traffic tickets are a different story, however. You must report these tickets to the Hackney Bureau when you make your application for a license. They are going to show up when Hackney runs a search on your past driving and criminal record, anyways. If you get caught lying — and you will get caught when they research the records — it will directly impact Hackney’s perception of your “good character,” which is one of the main reason you are investigated in order to obtain a professional Cab Driver‘s License. Obviously, if your character comes under question, you may have difficulty in obtaining the license.
In addition, the tickets present a second problem. Paragraph 9 states you must not have any open cases that could potentially result in your Massachusetts driver’s license being revoked or suspended. Paragraph 10 further states that your right to drive in Massachusetts must not have been revoked or suspended by the DMV within the past five (5) years because of having received five or more surchargeable incidents.
I explained your situation to Captain Ciccolo of the Hackney Division who suggested you come in and speak with one of the officers there who can give you a clearer picture of your present situation. The Hackney Unit is there to assist applicants in obtaining a taxi license, not to prevent you from obtaining one, he said.
I hope this explanation helps you.
