Taxi Driver Online

Crime sheets of people given licence to drive Hyndburn taxis



A BOROUGH has granted licenses to taxi drivers with convictions such as grievous bodily harm and failing to stop after an accident.

The details that at least five Hyndburn taxi drivers had convictions were revealed through a Lancashire Telegraph Freedom of Information request.

An opposition councillor has now called for a revamp of policies governing the granting of licenses.

However Hyndburn Borough Council leader Peter Britcliffe said that they received few complaints about drivers and that decisions were made by a panel of both labour and conservative councillors.

Of the 39 private hire and Hackney drivers granted licences this year, five have convictions. It is not known whether there are more amongst the borough’s 415 drivers, as Hyndburn Borough Council only released application details from the past 12 months.

The five convictions include one for public disorder, specifically of using threatening, abusive words with intent to cause fear or provocation in September last year and a conviction for failing to stop after a road accident in April last year.

One driver was convicted of driving without due care and attention in January this year plus a driver who was convicted for battery in February this year. Another was found guilty of GBH against a person, with actions that also resulted in a conviction of causing an animal to suffer, in November 2004.

Labour councillor Clare Pritchard said the current policy on granting licences was not strict enough and plans to put forward a motion suggesting changes to policy.

She said: “It is terrible because these failures sully the reputation of a lot of good, honest taxi drivers who are a credit to Hyndburn. Having looked around at other councils’ rules, they have pages of policy to prevent this type of thing, but Hyndburn has just one sheet.”

Hyndburn Borough Council leader Peter Britcliffe said the council was guided by Home Office guidelines: “I feel generally confident in the borough’s taxi drivers and in the safety of the general public. We have very few complaints”.

Government guidelines say anyone convicted of a violent offence should not be granted a licence to drive a taxi until three years after the incident, but leave the final decision to councillors. This is being extended to 10 years later in the autumn.

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