Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers say delays on renewing licences have 'stopped them working'

Frustrated drivers in Sandwell have hit out at the council which suspended face-to-face appointments during the pandemic, meaning they have had to contact the authority by phone or email.

But there have been complaints that calls have gone unanswered, while some drivers are not able to use email.

It is claimed some drivers have been left unable to work as they have not been able to get their licences renewed, at a time when their income has taken a massive hit because of coronavirus and taxi usage plummeting.

Sandwell Council said it was doing its best to ensure all calls were answered during "unprecedented times".

A private hire taxi driver, who did not want to be named, said: "They don't answer the phone, they expect us all to email. But we are not all good with email. You can be on hold for hours and no-one answers.

"If my licence finishes in March I have to renew it. They have to check the car is safe, they have to check I am fit again. The process is extremely slow.

"Certain taxi drivers can't really email - now you have to download an application. The appointment was face-to-face, now we have to submit everything online. It's affecting certain people working.

"Drivers have had to stop working because their licences have expired. In the last four or five months we have had no income whatsoever."

A council spokesman said: “The taxi licensing authority had to take the decision to temporarily suspend face-to-face appointments in the wake of the Covid pandemic in order to protect our customers and our staff.

“The taxi licensing team has and continues to be contactable by both telephone and email.

“We do speak to our licence holders and understand the challenges these unprecedented times are causing them and as a result our officers are attempting to work with each individual licence holder on a case by case basis to find the easiest and most efficient way of resolving their enquiry.

“As a result of the decision to temporarily suspend face-to-face appointments the service has seen unprecedented levels of contact via email and telephone.

“The taxi licensing team is working hard to respond to and resolve queries in a timely manner with our key aim being to keep our taxi drivers on the road throughout this very difficult time."

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IDFIMH

Our council trying to move everthing online, which I'm more than happy about, and would prefer that rather than a twenty-mile round trip to apply in person, or sending important documents by post.

But the stuff they've sent and put online simply isn't clear about what can be done online and what has to be sent by post (attending an office is certainly a no-no, for the forseeable future at least).

So looks like I'll have to contact them before even starting my badge and plate applications due in a few weeks, which doesn't exactly inspire confidence

Sandwell Council needs to get its house in order,there cannot be more telephone and e-mail applications for renewals than there was for face to face appointments.

I would advise anyone needing to renew there license to ensure they have an application form into the Council before the current license expires,if the Council do not issue a new license before expiry of the current one just keep on working as the renewal was lodged prior to expiry,the Council has only 2 options either renew or refuse in which case you appeal that decision and just keep on working.

Indeed, but reading between the lines I suspect the main issue is that some applicants are simply incapable of using emails and online forms, and of course there are no doubt, er, language barriers.

So it's a bit like the recent Dundee piece, which read like a wider critique of the testing process, but which was in reality more about the particular issue of substitutions.

Suspect that in Sandwell the giveway word here is '*certain* drivers':


Please remember that not every driver in the land is as internet savvy as the select bunch who post on here


Indeed, and the Scottish legislation states that if you lodge an application before expiry then the old licence remains in force until the council has disposed of it one way or the other. Normally they have six months to do that, but that was extended to nine months by the Scottish Parliament's emergency Covid legislation.

(But which is why even under normal circumstances we can have drivers running round with badges and plates weeks past the expiry date on display.)

But that's why I normally prefer to give up a couple of hours and a 20+ mile round trip to lodge my renewals by hand - you get a written receipt from the council, which demonstrates that you've lodged it before the expiry date.

Which is why I'm a bit wary about the vagueness of some of the online stuff. But I'm quite sure there will be an online receipt at least for the *payment* aspect of the process.

our council have emailed me today saying they are going back to face to face appointments for driver badges...




...but of course now we have to go all way to Grotsville for the appointment

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