Taxi Driver Online

Records may wreck taxi licence bids


CONVICTED criminals bidding for taxi licences will have details of their convictions attached to their applications.

Members of Barrow Borough Council’s licensing committee accepted proposals which will see details of any existing convictions supplied to the licensing committee in writing.

The proposals were introduced as a set of measures which aim to see each case considered on merit to ensure drivers are “fit and proper persons”.

Councillors followed recommendations which will see any applicants with a drug, dishonesty or serious motoring conviction within the past three to five years turned down.

Applicants with convictions for murder, robbery or possessing an offensive weapon will also be turned down.

The council conducted a fact-finding exercise which saw them contact councils across the North West.

In Wigan, previous convictions are attached in writing to applications while Copeland Borough Council read convictions out in licensing meetings.

Councillor Jack Richardson said: “The fact is if you put the details in writing, the applicant can see them and can’t later say they didn’t understand what was being said.

“It is in black and white.”

The committee heard applicants would have the right to appeal against any decisions to a magistrates court.

Convicted cocaine dealer David Crawford, 46, had his licence revoked in November.

The licensing committee had heard he was jailed for three years in June 2008 after being found with two half-gram wraps of cocaine and £685 of cash at the King Alfred Pub on Walney in July 2007.

Mr Crawford is fighting to overturn the decision and previously told the Evening Mail he had applied for the licence believing his conviction to be spent.

Councillor Wendy McClure said: “When the committee comes to a decision, are the company that they had worked for made aware?”

Phil Newton, environmental health manager at Barrow Borough Council, said: “No – any person granted a licence is deemed as a fit and proper person.”

source: http://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/records-m ... Path=news/

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



Not quite spot on here, I suspect. First it's basically saying that each case will be considered on its merits, then it's saying they won't as regards certain offences.





Good to see that coucillors are on the ball here

But I'm not really sure I understand the purpose of the latter question, or the answer.

Basically asking if the firms get a copy of the CRB, I think.

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IDFIMH