Taxi Driver Online

TAXI drivers will be given specialist training in a bid to protect vulnerable youngsters.

Members of Basildon Council’s licensing committee agreed on Thursday to introduce safeguarding training for all prospective and existing licence holders across the borough.

In recent years, official reports into child sexual exploitation cases have made specific references to the role of taxi and private hire vehicle drivers - who may unwittingly transport victims or hold important information which could prevent and detect offending.


Basildon Council has previously encouraged drivers to attend free training sessions on safeguarding, but the proposed reforms would see training become a mandatory condition for holding a licence.

Council officers will now draft detailed proposals for how the training will be introduced and what it will include.

It will ensure drivers knew how to recognise and report suspicious activity.

Ralph Morgan, 72, a taxi driver from Vange, welcomed the proposals.


He said: “When you have been in the taxi game for a long time, you can usually suss out if they are not going to pay or if they are going on a drug run, but when it comes to child sexual exploitation, the signs are harder to spot.

“It would be good to get some training on what signs are out there.

“You will get some taxi drivers who won’t want to do it so they should make it part of the conditions to get your licence.”

Alan Bennett, chairman of the licensing committee, said: “Taxi and private hire drivers have a crucial role to play as the eyes and ears of our community.

“When drivers are party to information which gives them cause for concern, it is vital that they know the appropriate steps to ensure this is passed to the relevant authorities.

“By agreeing in principle to introduce mandatory safeguarding training, Basildon Council is demonstrating that it takes its duty to protect the public seriously.”

Chief Insp Sam Smith, district commander for Basildon, added: “Personally I think that it is brilliant that Basildon are starting to introduce this. Taxi drivers are a really rich source of intelligence for us.”

_________________
lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector