Taxi Driver Online

Not much to see here, but can't recall reading any reports about a council contracting out DBS checks. Or 'entering into a new partnership' as the council describes it.

Three taxi drivers hit with penalty points by council

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/lo ... ty-2257799

The penalty points were handed out for matters including smoking in vehicles

Three taxi drivers in the Staffordshire Moorlands were hit with penalty points by the council in the last four months, according to a new report.

The drivers were issued the points for a variety of issues, including smoking in vehicles and 'failure to notify of driving offences' between July and October 2018.

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council also issued penalty points to one taxi operator according to the report - which is set to be discussed by the council's Licensing and Regulatory Committee later this week.

Over the same period, compliance checks were carried out at licensed premises in Leek, Biddulph, Cheadle and Werrington - with council offers saying they'd received no reports of smoking in pubs over the period.

In the report, council officers added: "If on enquiry officers find evidence that the law is being broken and enforcement is required, they can respond in various ways.

"They may instruct or warn by letter; revoke or suspend a licence; and, where the circumstances warrant it, they may formally caution or prosecute without prior warnings and without recourse to alternative sanctions."

Staffordshire Moorlands District Council have also entered into a new partnership with a company called Personnel Checks to carry out Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for new and existing taxi drivers in the district.

In a report also submitted to the meeting, council officers said Personnel Checks 'aim to simplify the DBS checking process through delivering a high quality, accurate and professional service'.

It added: "Personnel Checks will be operational for Staffordshire Moorlands District Council from January 1 2019, all new drivers and existing renewal drivers will go through this new process.

"All drivers will be contacted by the Authority with instructions on how to use the Personnel Checks website and how to complete the on-line checks."

DBS checks are criminal record checks which result in a certificate being issued to an individual, according to the government.

Councillors are set to receive a presentation about the checks at the meeting, which is taking place on November 30.

Is this normal practice? Isn't this the kind of arrangement that got Uber into trouble in London?

I suspect they haven't got anyone trained, and/or don't intend to get anyone trained in checking drivers DBS requirements.

Quite common to use these intermediaries in small businesses.

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IDFIMH

Makes sense - according to the DfT stats they've only got 34 HCs and 19 PHVs, so possibly haven't got a specialist taxi licensing function at all.

TfL certainly don't have that excuse though.