Taxi Driver Online

Middlesbrough taxi driver urges change in law for minibus drivers



Tees taxi driver Rasub Afzal


A TAXI driver said Teessiders are at risk because of a “loophole” in the law which means minibus drivers do not have their criminal records checked.

Rasub Afzal is urging the government to change its laws so that minibus drivers, like taxi drivers, have CRB checks before they are given their licence.

As part of the licensing process for Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles (PHV), drivers have to undertake an Enhanced Criminal Records check to assist local authorities in determining whether the driver is fit and proper to hold the licence.

However, to be licensed as a Passenger Carrying Vehicle (PCV) driver - who drive larger minibus-type vehicles - there is no similar requirement. Mr Afzal, 46, a self-employed taxi driver from Middlesbrough, said: “If someone applies for a badge to drive taxis and they don’t get one as they have a criminal record, they can then go on and apply for a PCV licence and they won’t be CRB checked.

“I think this is a terrible loophole and this legislation should be put right as soon as possible to make sure members of the public in Teesside and the rest of the country are taken home, or to their destination, by people who are CRB checked.

“These people have such a responsibility - in some cases they are transporting children and disabled people.”

Middlesbrough Labour MP Andy McDonald has written to MP Norman Baker, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Transport, on behalf of Mr Afzal to highlight his concerns.

He wrote: “I would urge you to look at this situation carefully. I am of the belief that all taxi drivers, whether Hackney Carriages, Private Hire Vehicle or Passenger Carrying Vehicles, should be subject to the same qualifications and checks as each other. This seems to me to be a sensible solution so the regulations that govern taxi drivers are fair and applied in the same way across the board with no opportunity for Passenger Carrying Vehicle drivers to avoid CRB checks as is the case today.”

Mr Baker responded, saying the government has “no intention at this time” to make all PCV drivers eligible for an enhanced check.

He said PCV drivers who regularly transport children or vulnerable adults are CRB checked.

But Mr Afzal said the government wouldn’t know how often minibus drivers are transporting vulnerable people.

Mr Baker added: “Whilst we can never rule out any risk of an offence in these circumstances, we do not think that it is so likely as to make it right to make all drivers eligible for checks.”


Read more: Gazette Live http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... z2Qpk0qq5f

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