Taxi Driver Online

We need to be reassured


PEOPLE put a lot of trust in taxi drivers to transport them and their loved ones safely.

And because of the unique vulnerability of hackney carriage and private hire passengers, the Department of Transport makes town halls responsible for licensing and regulating who is behind the wheel.

Our efforts to use the Freedom of Information Act to discover how thoroughly councils are monitoring cabbies has produced some surprising results. In Blackburn and Pendle there may be surprise at how many people with convictions are allowed to carry on driving.

But it is astonishing that Ribble Valley, Hyndburn and Burnley councils are unable to provide the information because they have destroyed it. Their actions beg the question of how they could retrospectively defend a decision to grant a licence to someone with convictions – as the public would expect them – if they have no records.

Rossendale Council’s refusal to provide the information because of the Data Protection Act also shows a strange attitude to the rights of taxi passengers against those of convicted criminals. We need to be reassured that regulation is efficient and effective.

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

can I access a database with passengers personal data before i pick em up?

anyway, how the hell can a passenger know who is collecting them and check on the driver all by the time they get in the car, er, taxi, er PHV, er limo...

Agreed, and drivers also need to be reassured that the 'powers that be' will given every protection and assistance to drivers when they are in trouble.

_________________
IDFIMH

Not astonishing at all, the law says councils must destroy CRB checks after they have decided on the contents.

_________________
IDFIMH

I think some are expecting only saints and popes to be granted a badge to drive

Then there would only be me.

_________________
IDFIMH

I was gonna add police inspectors but decided only the trustworthy should be included...

Pope Ingratious salatious the 3rd of sussex...

Have you actually made FOI requests for this information, CC?

If so, what questions did you ask?

I wonder if each of us on here should ask the same questions of our own LA and compile the results on here. They could be interesting to see the possible different approach taken by each authority.

I actually commented about this today when I was renewing my badge. I said something along the lines of the CRB was only usful to the LA in so far as they needed to know what kind of criminal they would be giving a badge to so it seemed a pointless exercise and waste of money if they would be ignoring the info. I also said that there were quite a few former criminals with badges the response being a shrug of the shoulders and a rather vacant look............

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

No....it was a report from a paper.

CC

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

Maybe you should have asked the question in a language other than English.

_________________
Grandad,

Perhaps next time I'll speak in Toottalk and cover the subject with such words, as thingy ding, wotsits and lots of Ooops

_________________
Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Is that 'oops as in 'andcuffs?

So, what questions would we want to ask? Bear in mind the LA will only answer the question you ask, not add any further info.

How many badges were issued in each of 2006, 2007 and 2008 to individuals whose CRB check showed a recordable offence?

How many badges in total were issued in each of those years?

Can it be subdivided any further? Any other ideas?

I would add something like how many current drivers have committed a recordable offence in the last 3/5/? years? And what were those offences?

_________________
IDFIMH