Taxi Driver Online

Sex offenders driving taxis: Elmbridge Council proposes change to rules

Elmbridge Council consults on whether to prevent taxi drivers with sexual assault record from ever getting licence

Elmbridge Council is consulting on whether to prevent taxi drivers with a sexual assault record from ever getting licence.

Along with this, the proposed changes to current taxi and private hire licensing policy include increases in how long a driver must wait strike-free after a conviction.

Currently, if a driver is convicted of trafficking, possession of indecent photographs or child pornography, or sexual assault, they must wait 10 years before they are able to be granted a licence.

The proposals state: “Applicants with convictions for sexual or indecency offences that involve a third party will normally be refused.”

Indecent exposure currently has a strike-free time of three years.

Anyone convicted of a crime that resulted in loss of life will “not normally be granted” a licence.

If someone is convicted of common assault, they must wait five years, compared to the current three.

The proposals also include mandatory Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) awareness training for all drivers.

Councillor Barry Fairbank, portfolio holder for environment, said: “We are consulting on some important changes to strengthen our licensing team’s approach to protecting children and vulnerable persons and look forward to hearing the views of residents, business and the taxi trade.

“These changes are the result of working closely with other districts and boroughs across Surrey to form a consistent approach to licensing and to train drivers to identify and report any signs of Child Sexual Exploitation.

“A consistent and robust approach is the best way to help prevent the sexual exploitation of children.”

Sarah Green, co-director of End Violence Against Women, said the proposals “sound reasonable”.

She said: “We have to be careful when restricting the civil liberties of people- governments should be careful as people need to earn a living.
“Sex offenders are already restricted with where they can work.

“However, we know that a lot people that commit serious sexual assaults are repeat offenders.

“Someone getting a taxi doesn’t know about the offence and has not consented to it.

“If the residents of Elmbridge feel they want to have a standard whereby people convicted of sexual assault shouldn’t be driving taxis, then that’s a respectable decision.”

To read the full proposals go here http://www.elmbridge.gov.uk/council/con ... sultation/

All Surrey councils are revising their licensing policies for taxi and private hire to “provide a more consistent approach” to training and assessment of drivers across the county.

source: http://www.surreycomet.co.uk/NEWS/15636 ... g_licence/

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

This is something all councils should have done years ago

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

Common assault can be simply a case of a small push, or even a case of a person believing they were about to receive a small push.

How can that be deemed to be a more serious matter (5 year ban) to someone getting their dick out in public (3 year ban)?

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IDFIMH