A CLYDEBANK taxi driver said he hopes “never to see councillors again” after his licence was renewed.

Stuart Douglas jokingly made the remark at an appearance before West Dunbartonshire Council’s licensing committee.

Police objected to Mr Douglas’s bid to renew his licence after he was twice found to be speeding on the A82.

In 2016, Mr Douglas was stopped going at 64mph on a 50mph stretch, and in November 2018 he was caught doing 65mph in the same area.

Read more: Taxi driver gets license despite slew of previous driving offences

When his application was granted, Councillor Lawrence O’Neill jokingly told Mr Douglas “not to come back with 66mph next time”.

Mr Douglas replied: “With all due respect, I don’t actually want to see you guys unless it’s in the paper.”

Mr Douglas said he had seven points on his licence, four of which had expired in July.

Admitting his mistake, Mr Douglas said: “I was running late, but that’s absolutely not an excuse. It changes suddenly from 70mph to 50mph at that point, and I just missed it.”

When challenged by Cllr O’Neill, who claimed there were “signs all over the place” to show the change of speed limit, Mr Douglas said he “used the wrong word”.

He added: “There are signs all over the place there, and there’s no excuse.”

Mr Douglas said he had changed his holiday plans to attend the meeting, preferring not to “extend” the matter, which cost him a “wee fortune”.

Mr Douglas added: “I realise that my actions could have resulted in a collision, meaning no one would have got anywhere any time soon.

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“I regret my actions and apologise. I really do.

“I hope to be a better and safer driver in the future.”

Mr Douglas has said he has taken “positive action” by installing an audible device which will tell him when he is breaching the speed limit.