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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:24 pm 
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Another one for Sussex not to like :badgrin:

And isn't this Skippy/Bloodknock country? 8-[

Almost half of Borders taxi drivers granted licences last year have criminal records, council reveals

https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/n ... -1-4806413

Burglars, arsonists, domestic abusers, thieves, flashers and reckless drivers have all been granted taxi and private-hire licences by Scottish Borders Council, it can be revealed.

Nearly half of all licences handed out in 2017 were given to people with criminal convictions, with domestic abuse, drink driving, wilful fireraising and a litany of speeding offences listed as prior convictions on successful application forms.

One licence holder has even been convicted of indecent exposure twice, and another has a criminal record for carrying a pistol in public.

Figures released by Scottish Borders Council under freedom-of-information legislation show that in 2017, 155 out of the 385 taxi and private-hire licences granted in the Borders were given to people with prior convictions.

Speeding accounts for a large proportion of the convictions, but many are for more serious motoring offences such as drink-driving and getting behind the wheel without a licence or insurance or while disqualified.

One driver was convicted of driving over a golf course and causing criminal damage. Several licence holders have also been convicted of offences of violence such as assault, domestic abuse and assaulting a police officer.

One driver has even been convicted of assault four times.

When a person applies for a taxi or private hire licence, councillors have the option of reviewing the application at a civic government licensing committee meeting, and that option is used mostly if Police Scotland have made representations about previous convictions.

However, the council’s website lists just 17 applications that went before the committee in 2017, out of which only three were rejected. The council was unable to confirm that at time of publication, however.

Furthermore, the council refuses to hold suche committee meetings in public, meaning taxi licences are being granted to people with serious convictions behind closed doors and away from public scrutiny.

A spokesperson for the authority said that the need to protect the personal data of applicants outweighs the public interest of knowing if taxi licence holders have previous convictions.

The council spokesperson added: “As set out in the protocol and as required by the 1982 Civic Government Act, all applications are referred to Police Scotland.

“There are no set criteria, and each application is considered on its individual merits. This includes applications for renewal.

“The 155 taxi licences with convictions have at some point been considered by the licensing committee.

“The bulk of those licences issued are renewals where there have been no new convictions. For example, a licence is granted by the committee after they have considered an applicant’s previous convictions. If the same applicant has no further convictions, there is no basis for the committee to consider their renewal application.

“For more serious offences, it is likely that the police would object to any application, which will then need to be considered by the licensing committee.

“The committee would look at the details of the circumstances of the offence and would take into account how long ago the conviction or convictions took place.

“Committee members will also consider other matters such as how they have addressed their offending behaviour, such as attending counselling, or whether the applicant has shown remorse.

“In all applications, it is open to the committee to grant a licence for a lesser period, while the police also have the ability to request a suspension or a withdrawal of a licence should the licence holder’s conduct cause them concern.”


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 5:33 pm 
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Speeding isn't a criminal offence. Are these Council sorts thick as fuck?


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 6:02 pm 
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Location: Stamford Britains prettiest town till SKDC ruined it
One licence holder has even been convicted of indecent exposure twice

so how the h*ll has he got a license :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 9:27 pm 
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Quote:
One driver was convicted of driving over a golf course and causing criminal damage.

Heaven forbid, hang him.

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 27, 2018 9:28 pm 
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edders23 wrote:
One licence holder has even been convicted of indecent exposure twice

so how the h*ll has he got a license :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

I blame the SNP.

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 10:17 am 
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The one on the golf course, was sent to pick up CC :lol:


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 01, 2018 7:35 am 
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Sussex wrote:
edders23 wrote:
One licence holder has even been convicted of indecent exposure twice

so how the h*ll has he got a license :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

I blame the SNP.


The SNP blames Everybody else, they even appear to blame their Ex Leader who's under investigation.


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 26, 2018 9:44 am 
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Interesting example of non-licensing councillor questioning the licensing process at a full council meeting.


Borders council comes in for further criticism for giving taxi licences to applicants with criminal records

https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/n ... -1-4820055

Council chiefs have come in for further criticism for granting taxi licences to applicants with criminal convictions and for insisting on doing so in secret.

As reported previously, burglars, arsonists, thieves and drink-drivers have all been given taxi and private-hire licences by the council in meetings held behind closed doors that the press and public are barred from attending.

Nearly half of all licences handed out in 2017 were given to cabbies with criminal records, with domestic abuse, drink-driving, wilful fireraising and speeding offences listed as prior convictions on their application forms.

One licence holder has even been convicted of indecent exposure twice, and another has a criminal record for carrying a pistol in public.

At a full meeting of Scottish Borders Council today, October 25, Galashiels councillor Harry Scott asked council chiefs how and why 155 licences have been granted to people with previous convictions.

Selkirkshire councillor Gordon Edgar, the authority’s executive member for roads and infrastructure, told him: “When an applicant has prior convictions, has criminal prosecutions pending or the police object to the granting or renewal of a licence, then the application is referred to the civic government licensing committee to determine.

“It will then be for the committee to decide, based on all information available, whether the applicant is a fit and proper person to hold such a licence.

“Police officers will also be present and address the committee.

“The applicant will also be invited to speak to the committee and be subject to questioning.

“If the committee considers the applicant to be a danger to the public, or for any other reason decides that the applicant is not a fit and proper person, then the application will be refused.”

Following on from his first question, Mr Scott asked Mr Edgar: “How many holders of taxi and private hire licences have been convicted of criminal offences whilst employed as such during the past five years and what were the nature of those offences?”

Mr Edgar revealed that over the past five years, 20 taxi or private licence holders have been convicted of criminal offences while employed as drivers in the Borders.

Those convictions were made up of seven road traffic offences, four domestic breaches of the peace, three other breaches of the peace and one conviction apiece for threatening or abusive behaviour, assault, carrying an offensive weapon, theft, drink-driving and social security fraud.

The licensing committee also has the authority to suspend or revoke licences, and of the 20 drivers convicted while working here, 14 have had theirs taken off them as a result of their offending.

The six allowed to retain their licences were convicted of either road traffic offences or domestic or other breaches of the peace.

Mr Scott also took umbrage with the fact that the council refuses to allow such decisions to be subject to press or public scrutiny, saying: “I first heard of this from the media, but I’ve since seen the freedom-of-information request that the media had seen.

“I’m really not satisfied that we’re being as tight as we could be when we’re vetting these people – convictions for indecent exposure, for example. I really don’t want my wife and my daughter sitting in a taxi with a driver who has got a conviction for this offence.

“Another licence holder has convictions for theft, breach of the peace, excess alcohol, cultivating cannabis and possession of drugs. Do we really want somebody like that driving a taxi in our area?

“There are plenty of reports coming from south of the border, mostly London and the Midlands, where taxi drivers have been involved in some heinous crimes, particularly against women and young girls. I really don’t want that to happen here.

“Previous convictions are a matter of public record, so there’s no reason that these applications should not be heard in an open session of the licensing board.

“If there’s still some doubt about that, then it should be made clear to the applicants that all of their previous convictions will be made clear in a publically-available meeting.

“It’s not acceptable that these are heard in private, and the announcement that the protection of the personal data of applicants outweighs the public interest in whether a licence holder has a previous conviction is also unacceptable.

“These people are in trusted positions, and we need to be sure that they are as trustworthy as they can be.”

A spokesperson for the council confirmed that it feels the need to protect the personal data of applicants outweighs the public interest in knowing if taxi licence holders have previous convictions.


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 26, 2018 10:27 am 
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Are we to assume that all Pious Councillors the length and breadth of Britain whether past, Present or Future will have track records as pure as the driven snow?

I somehow doubt it.


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 26, 2018 8:28 pm 
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bloodnock wrote:
Are we to assume that all Pious Councillors the length and breadth of Britain whether past, Present or Future will have track records as pure as the driven snow?

I somehow doubt it.

No those c***s just preach. :sad:

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 5:21 am 
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Not much different from last year, but I suppose they could hardly fail to renew existing badges whatever the driver's past history and, by the same token, unlikely to radically change their approach to new grants.


More than third of taxi licences handed out in Borders last year given to drivers with criminal records

https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/n ... -1-4976827

Council chiefs in the Borders are still handing out taxi licences to applicants with criminal records, latest figures confirm.

A freedom of information request submitted last year revealed that nearly half of all licences handed out in 2017 were given to people with a criminal past, including convictions for housebreaking, fire-raising, theft and a host of motoring offences.

One licence holder had even been convicted of indecent exposure twice, and another had a criminal record for carrying a pistol in public.

Speeding accounted for a large proportion of the convictions, but many were for more serious road offences such as drink-driving and getting behind the wheel without a licence or insurance or while disqualified.

Several licence holders had also been convicted of offences of violence such as assault, domestic abuse and assaulting a police officer. One driver had been convicted of assault four times, it was revealed.

A follow-up freedom of information request has revealed that since that information was released, Scottish Borders Council has continued to grant licences to individuals with criminal convictions.

The local authority handed out 314 new and renewed taxi drivers’ licences in 2018, 114 of them to cabbies with criminal records, and it has granted another 138 so far this year, 47 to applicants previously in trouble with the law.

A council spokesperson said: “As set out in the protocol and as required by the 1982 Civic Government (Scotland) Act, all applications are referred to Police Scotland.

“There are no set criteria, and each application is considered on its individual merits. This includes applications for renewal.

“Any taxi licence with a conviction has at some point been considered by the licensing committee.

“The bulk of those licences issued are renewals where there have been no new convictions. For example, a licence is granted by the committee after it has considered an applicant’s previous convictions.

“If the same applicant has no further convictions, there is no basis for the committee to consider their renewal application.

“For more serious offences, it is likely that the police would object to any application, which would then need to be considered by the licensing committee.

“The committee would look at the details of the circumstances of the offence and would take into account how long ago the conviction took place.

“Committee members will also consider other matters such as how they have addressed their offending behaviour, such as attending counselling, or whether the applicant has shown remorse.

“In all applications, it is open to the committee to grant a licence for a lesser period, while the police also have the ability to request a suspension or a withdrawal of a licence should the licence holder’s conduct cause them concern.”

However, the council refuses to allow press or public scrutiny of meetings at which taxi licences are to be discussed as it claims the need to protect the confidentiality of applicants outweighs the right of the public to know about them, regardless of whether their applications are successful or not.


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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 1:39 pm 
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Location: Stamford Britains prettiest town till SKDC ruined it
down from 50 percent to 33 percent :roll:

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PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 3:20 pm 
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edders23 wrote:
down from 50 percent to 33 percent :roll:

I suppose if they have three year licenses then they will be back up to 50% in two years.

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 12, 2019 10:40 pm 
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Are they Including things like an SP30 speeding offence in 1981, if so most Taxi Drivers will have Records.?


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