Taxi Driver Online

If anybody can be bothered to check

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

MP's are concerned about this

from BBc news website

MPs say a "legal loophole" is putting young people at risk by allowing taxi drivers to operate in Rotherham without meeting council-imposed standards.
MPs said drivers licensed by other local authorities could operate in the town even if their application for a Rotherham licence had been rejected.
A 2014 report said 1,400 children had been abused in the town and taxi drivers played a "prominent role".
The issue was raised by the Communities and Local Government Committee (CLGC).
It said swift action was needed by ministers.
'Without delay'
The Professor Alexis Jay report found hundreds of children were subjected to sexual abuse in the South Yorkshire town between 1997 and 2013.
The committee noted the concerns raised relate to a "very small minority" of drivers in Rotherham but they had undermined public confidence.
It concluded there was a need for government departments to introduce statutory guidance in law over taxi licensing "without delay", adding legislation should be considered if this fails to deliver the high standards needed across the country.
"We believe that local authorities must be able to apply particular measures in relation to taxi licensing in their areas, such as requiring taxis to have CCTV installed, without those measures being undermined by taxis coming in from other areas," it said.
Rotherham, which has an estimated 1,100 drivers, introduced new rules requiring drivers to install CCTV cameras in the wake of Prof Jay's findings.
The CLGC made the recommendation following an inquiry into the government's imposition of commissioners in Rotherham in February 2015 and the London borough of Tower Hamlets in December 2014.
The committee's other conclusions included the need for local authorities to learn from the experiences of Rotherham and Tower Hamlets about the need to "encourage and support" whistleblowers and to take their concerns "seriously".
The MPs also suggested that local authorities subject to government intervention should pick up the costs despite tightened budgets.
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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

local paper



Taxi 'legal loophole' could put children at risk in Rotherham


Ministers have been urged to 'act without delay' to prevent a 'damaging' legal loophole from putting young people in Rotherham at risk in taxis.

Since the child sexual exploitation scandal in Rotherham was revealed in 2014, all taxi drivers in the town now have strict rules to adhere to, including having CCTV installed in their vehicles.

But the Communities and Local Government Committee said it is concerned that taxis licensed by other local authorities may still operate in Rotherham, even if the drivers have had their application for a Rotherham licence rejected.

MPs said action is needed to address the 'damaging' legal loophole to prevent young and vulnerable people from being put at risk.

They have called for Government departments to prepare guidance in law over taxi licensing 'without delay', adding that new legislation should be considered.

Taxi drivers had a 'prominent role' in child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, according to the 2014 report by Professor Alexis Jay which suggested that 1,400 children had been abused over a 16-year period while those in authority turned a blind eye.

Children were often transported in taxis while they were moved around to be abused.

A report by Communities and Local Government Committee says: "We believe that local authorities must be able to apply particular measures in relation to taxi licensing in their areas, such as requiring taxis to have CCTV installed, without those measures being undermined by taxis coming in from other areas.

"We recommend that, in order to ensure that lessons are learned from experiences in Rotherham, the Department for

Communities and Local Government works with the Home Office and the Department for Transport on the preparation of statutory guidance under the Policing and Crime Bill in relation to taxi licensing.

"That guidance should be brought forward without delay. Once the guidance has been introduced, the Government should monitor the extent to which it ensures consistently high standards in taxi licensing across the country, and also enables local authorities to put in place and enforce specific measures which are appropriate for their local circumstances.

"If guidance is not able to achieve this, the Government should consider legislation."

source: http://www.thestar.co.uk/news/taxi-lega ... -1-8077793

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Well let's hope these messages are reaching the correct desks.

Just a shame so many girls had to be abused first.

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IDFIMH

They might be burying their heads in the sand again.

doubt it once bitten twice shy as they say

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector