Tougher checks for Leeds’s cabbies being consideredLicensing bosses in Leeds will mull over plans to introduce more regular criminal record checks on the city’s cabbies today.
Leeds City Council’s Licensing Committee will discuss the proposals to introduce Disclosure Barring Service checks (previously known as Criminal Records Bureau or CRB checks) every three years for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire drivers.
But any decision on the controversial plans – which could cost drivers an extra £64 – looks likely to be delayed until the authority’s number crunchers have looked into the cost of a new online checking system.
A report to the committee says: “The HR and recruitment administration team within the council are currently exploring alternative online checks via a third party company.
“Officers intend to attend a demonstration of this system to understand the benefits and costs.
“The team are also investigating whether an internal system can be established and the cost to do this.”
Currently checks are carried out on all drivers when they apply for a taxi or private hire licence but there is no policy in place to order further disclosures during the lifetime of a licence.
Best practice guidance issued by the Department for Transport says that checks should be made every three years.
But the report says the additional cost of a three-year check to each driver would be the £47 charge for a DBS application and £17 administration costs.
Because of this, licensing officers want the council to hold off on any decision on the checks until they have had a chance to look at the online system, which could bring the cost down.
The authority currently has 814 licence holders who have not had checks since 2000.
source:
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/n ... -1-5665247
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