13 Feb 2008
Increased checks on taxi drivers
EXTRA checks are set to be made on taxi drivers in Burnley after drivers
were found to be falsely handing over clean licences.
But the borough's cabbies - while accepting new DVLA records searches
could be introduced - are unhappy over being charged for the privilege.
Council licensing chiefs say Burnley's 400-plus private hire and hackney
carriage drivers must foot the £8.25 bill for the checks, which will be
carried out by private agency Intelligent Data Systems.
Licensing chief Peter Henderson said the new system was being proposed
after a number of abuses were discovered of existing regulations.
He added: "We have had several instances, not just one or two in a year,
where licences seem to be going forward and not backward.
"For example we will get licence 28 one year and then licence 27 produced
the next year.
"I am not saying this is happening in all cases but there is not enough
being done to try and present the correct licences.
"We have had instances where we have convictions for driving without due
care or having no insurance - but when the licence is produced there are
no convictions."
Councillors on the borough's licensing committee were told that existing
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks would pinpoint offences like
driving while disqualified and driving with excess alcohol.
But more minor road traffic offences, such as careless driving and
insurance and tax charges, often did not emerge from a CRB analysis.
Mohammed Jamil Munir, chairman of Burnley Hackney Carriage
Association, said: "The DVLA checks is the issue which is disturbing all drivers.
"Because we feel that although there have been problems in the past with
certain individuals we do not think that all drivers should be penalised."
Mr Munir called on councillors to embark on a proper consultation exercise
with hackney carriage and private hire drivers.
But Coun Ida Carmichael said: "Mr Munir has sat on this committee for the
last 12 years and we must have come across half a dozen instances where
we have issued a licence to someone and in retrospect they have been
found to have convictions and the licence has been revoked.
"We have a duty to the people of the borough to ensure that the people
who are provided with a taxi licence are a fit and proper person to do so.
"I would have no hesitation in voting for this DVLA check - I think it is an
absolute must."
Councillors rejected calls for more consultation to take place and
approved the additional checks for drivers.
Source: Burnley Citizen
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