Stoke-on-Trent taxi drivers will have to prove 'good character' under new rulesPlans have been unveiled which could see taxi drivers having to provide evidence to show they are 'fit and proper' to hold a licence.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council currently requires private hire and Hackney carriage drivers to complete an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.
But the authority is now looking to tighten its rules to ensure that licences are only awarded to applicants who can demonstrate 'previous good character'.
The current proposal, which comes after two rounds of consultation, is to ask drivers to provide:
Five years' worth of address history in the UK;
Or a certificate of good conduct from an embassy or consulate;
Or evidence that information has been provided to and accepted by the Home Office as part of a successful visa application.
Changes were considered due to the fact that the DBS is unable to check the history of applicants who have not lived in the UK for at least five years.
The third option was added after drivers raised concerns over the difficulty some may have in obtaining a certificate from an embassy.
Officers say, while applicants from other EU countries would have not have a visa, they would be able to obtain an embassy certificate.
But Stoke-on-Trent Private Hire Drivers' Association is objecting to the proposal, saying the requirements are overly strict and unnecessary.
Members of the council's licensing and general purposes committee will make a decision on whether to adopt the new rules at a meeting today.
The report to the committee states: “During the scheduled review of the Hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy in 2016, a change was suggested in relation to the evidence of good character which new applicants for a licence would be required to submit to demonstrate that they are 'fit and proper'.
“The change was designed to assist with the council's responsibility to protect public safety, and recognised the current limitations of the national checking service used to highlight criminal convictions and other relevant information.
“Ensuring that licences are only awarded to applicants who can demonstrate previous good character demonstrates working together to make our towns and communities great places to live."
During the last round of consultation, Stoke-on-Trent Private Hire Drivers' Association formally objected to the proposal.
Chairman Shahraz Yaqub questioned why the council was considering a system more onerous than the one used by the Home Office for passport applications.
Passport applications must be countersigned by an individual who can confirm the likeness of the applicant and their identity.
Mr Yaqub said: “Surely entering the UK and having a right to stay here, co-existing with its population, is an equal or greater risk than transporting customers.
“We therefore cannot understand why the licensing must carry out much stricter checks than the Home Office."
Mr Yaqub proposes that the council requires drivers to have their applications countersigned by someone who has known them for at least two years, as an alternative to obtaining a certificate from an embassy.
But officers say the counter signature on passport applications is primarily intended to verify the applicants' identity, rather than their 'good character'.
Read more at
http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/stoke-on ... J8gkIUM.99
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