Taxi Driver Online

Teignbridge Council dilemma over Romanian taxi drivers

A Devon council is planning to change its policy on criminal record and health checks for taxi drivers after a local firm said it wants to employ Romanian workers.

Teignbridge District Council has received driver applications from Romanian nationals who have been brought over to work in the district by a local company.

Councillors on the authority’s regulatory and appeals committee have been told that as a result of the applications, in October last year, it now needs to amend its policy to deal with criminal records and medical examinations for foreign nationals.

UK citizens who want to become a taxi driver must be checked through the Criminal Records Bureau and also have their health and fitness confirmed with a medical certificate from a doctor who has full access to the applicant’s medical records.

Councillors are being advised that similar systems may not exist in other countries and the council has spent some time in contact with the Romanian Embassy to clarify matters and taken advice from the Home Office and Department for Transport.

Council officers have made recommendations to change the licensing system for taxi drivers so that checks on the background and health of applicants from other countries can be made.

Councillor Alan Connett, chairman of Teignbridge council’s scrutiny committee, said he was surprised to learn a local taxi firm needed to bring in drivers from abroad.

“In the current climate, many people might be surprised, he added.

“You would have thought this is the type of work that could be recruited to locally, especially as knowledge of the area can be important and valued by customers.”

The regulatory and appeals committee meets on Thursday to consider the proposals.

source: http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/

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

In other words cheap labour,
If they dont already include an extended DSA driving test they should, and English and accounting

Exploitation is more like it!

Slavery has been abolished, and is now reinvented with guys working for company fleet cars getting less than the national minimum.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

yep and you MUGS allow it ffs

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Let's hope he remembers that when the council allocate their taxi/PH contracts.

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IDFIMH

Newton Abbot taxi firm takes on 15 Romanian drivers despite red tape row

A NEWTON Abbot taxi firm has taken on 15 drivers from Romania, claiming it has struggled to find committed staff locally.

Teignbridge Taxis, which has been running for six years and has a fleet of around 30 vehicles, said it had tried to recruit locally, but failed.

Managing director Daniel Hooper said: "Employing people in the area is like banging your head against a brick wall.

"We didn't want to bring drivers in from Europe but we had to. We need drivers who want to do the job and do it well.

"The majority of the drivers that we've come across locally didn't seem to want to work the anti-social hours or put themselves out for the customer.

"Our Romanian staff go the extra mile for the people they drive. The economy is shot in their country, so they are eager to make a life here.

"We now have customers requesting our Romanian drivers."

The firm started looking into employing Romanians last Autumn and signed up with an agency who recruited and trained the new drivers.

Mr Hooper has had to overcome several hurdles to obtain permits from Teignbridge District Council.

He says the process has been a 'nightmare'.

Mr Hooper says he was asked to supply the council with various documents, including medical and good conduct certificates, which had to be approved by the relevant bodies in Romania.

But he claimed the council was concerned about their authenticity when he presented them and he was advised to visit the Romanian Consulate in London with his foreign workers to obtain more documents which left him with a £1,600 bill.

He claimed the documents provided in London were 'identical' to those he had already tried to hand over.

"All the council had to do was call London Transport to find out what they accept as official documents when employing taxi drivers," said Mr Hooper.

"Instead I had to go to London and incur this cost which was unnecessary."

Cllr Mike Walters, Teignbridge District Council's Executive spokesman for corporate services, said: "As a local licensing authority Teignbridge has a legal obligation to make sure that information contained within any license application is genuine.

"The Romanian applicants provided certificates of good conduct and medical certificates but we could not be 100 per cent certain of their authenticity.

"We spent considerable time clarifying the position with advice from the Romanian Embassy, the Romanian Consulate, the Department of Transport and another licensing authority in Devon.

"Our view was that it was essential to make sure the applications were genuine in order to protect the council, the Romanian nationals and the general public.

"We go to great lengths to ensure we have Criminal Records Bureau checks and medical history records from UK citizens who apply for a licence, so it is only fair we should do the same with other EU citizens who have just arrived in the country.

"The proposal to amend our policy for licensing foreign nationals as hackney carriage/private hire drivers, which goes before the Regulatory and Appeals Committee at its meeting on January 31, is aimed at making this process clearer.

"We appreciate Mr Hooper's situation but these things always take a certain amount of time."

http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/Newto ... story.html

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

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IDFIMH

And lot's that dont

Yeah like we have them requesting Asian Drivers Only round here.

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

I know some very nice hard working totally honest Polish families, I see no good reason why they should be excluded from the trade...

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Newton Abbot taxi drivers demand meeting with boss who 'couldn't find locals to do job'


TAXI drivers in Teignbridge are on the war path after a cab firm boss claimed he was forced to employ foreign staff because he couldn't find locals willing to do the job.

Daniel Hooper, managing director of Newton Abbot-based Teignbridge Taxis, revealed he has recruited 15 drivers from Romania.

He has said he had to bring in drivers from Europe because 'the majority of drivers we've come across locally didn't seem to want to work the anti-social hours or put themselves out for the customer'.

But the Teignbridge Taxi and Private Hire Association, which has 119 members, has hit back and is calling for a face-to-face meeting with Mr Hooper.

The association said in a statement: "We feel very strongly concerning the comments made by Mr Hooper.

"Companies within the Teignbridge area do not have a problem recruiting drivers, existing drivers do go the extra mile and work unsociable hours, contrary to his comments.

"As a direct result of his comments, existing drivers are very angry and feel the main reason for employing the Romanian drivers is for his financial benefit — they will work for less money."

The association claimed Mr Hooper was in favour of deregulation in the taxi industry which it says caused in excess of 250 licensed vehicles to be on the road.

The association claimed: "Mr Hooper is now suffering the consequences, along with our members, so we feel Mr Hooper should shoulder the responsibilities of his former actions and try to find solutions for the benefit of the trade as a whole and not alienate himself, his company and his drivers from the rest of the trade.

"We would like to propose a face-to-face meeting with Mr Hooper to discuss what is happening within the trade not just within his company."

Association secretary David Williams said: "There's only one cake and if there are more drivers, the slices get smaller.

"It doesn't do the trade any good to say we can't get drivers."

Independent taxi driver Dave Cowling, 51, who has been doing the job for 23 years, said the situation began with deregulation.

He said: "Over the last six years we've had a massive influx of Hackney carriages. This drastically cut the incomes of taxi drivers in Teignbridge."

Mr Hooper told the Herald Express he would be happy to have a face to face meeting or phone call with association chairman John Partridge but he was unwilling to attend an association meeting.

"I'm not going to be summoned before people to discuss my business. I haven't done anything wrong," he said. "But I'm willing to talk to Mr Partridge and try to settle issues he has obviously got."

He said just this week he had to turn work away and he had customers waiting up to an hour for a taxi. Mr Hooper said foreign workers were also paid the same. He also denied he had been in favour of deregulation and was just asking the council for 'half a dozen Hackney plates for my drivers'.


source: http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Newton-Abb ... z2KxWYXM8F

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

what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive

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