A driving instructor who repeatedly allowed an unlicensed and uninsured student to take the wheel has been struck off the official register after a tribunal ruled that his conduct posed a serious risk to public safety.
Uday Shanker Singh, who had been a registered Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) since 2016, admitted to permitting a student to drive his car on at least four occasions without verifying whether she held a valid provisional licence. The situation came to light following a road accident in June 2024, during which the learner was found to be uninsured, resulting in six penalty points being imposed on Mr Singh’s driving licence.
The Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors subsequently removed Mr Singh from the Register in February 2025, citing a failure to meet the statutory requirement of being a “fit and proper person” to provide instruction. Mr Singh appealed the decision, but the First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) dismissed his case last week, describing his actions as a “significant failing.”
The appeal was heard by Judge David Dixon sitting with tribunal members Gary Roantree and Martin Smith. In its ruling, the panel expressed disbelief at Mr Singh’s conduct, noting that he had simply taken the student's word that she was licensed and insured. “Such behaviour is not befitting of an approved driving instructor,” the panel concluded.
During the hearing, Mr Singh said he had trusted the student, who was from the same Nepalese community, after she told him she possessed a provisional licence and had merely forgotten to bring it. He admitted that the student had driven on at least three other occasions under similar circumstances. He also revealed that the student’s mother had pressured him to provide lessons.
“I trusted her completely,” he told the tribunal, “and that was my mistake.”
The Tribunal heard that Mr Singh failed to respond to the Registrar’s initial correspondence and did not report the conviction as required, further compounding concerns about his suitability to remain on the Register.
The Registrar argued that the failure to carry out even the most basic checks demonstrated a disregard for one of the central obligations of an ADI: to ensure pupils are legally entitled to drive and appropriately insured.
Mr Singh, who was unrepresented, said the loss of registration would have severe consequences for his livelihood and family. Nonetheless, the Tribunal held that such considerations were outweighed by the need to uphold professional standards and protect public confidence in the driving instruction system.
“The negligence or utter naivety of the Appellant… was extremely worrying,” the panel stated. “To allow the Appellant to appear on the Register would be to condone the offending.”
The Tribunal found that the Registrar had acted correctly and that removal was the only appropriate response.
Mr Singh’s appeal was formally dismissed with immediate effect.
Case summary
Case: Singh v Registrar of Approved Driving Instructors [2025] UKFTT 1037 (GRC)
Date of decision: August 27, 2025
Tribunal members: HHJ David Dixon, Gary Roantree, Martin Smith
Representation:
