Taxi Driver Online

There has been much on the news about the Governments failure to enter UK citizens, foreign convictions into the criminal records database; but what about non-UK nationals who come here from other EU countries & decide to seek employment as taxi drivers ?

If, for example, an Polish national with convictions for sexual offences in his homeland applied for a taxi drivers licence here in the UK there would, quite rightly, be background checks to ensure he was no danger to the travelling public

My query is, would those offences carried out show up in any Police checks ?

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxicabs_around_the_world

No. Is the simple answer.

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Former taxi driver

See other threads, like "Certificate of good conduct" for more.

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Former taxi driver

It varies with different countries, we are determined that the most vigirous checking is done. What is good for our citizens, must apply to all!
DECISIONS ARE TAKEN BY THOSE THAT TURN UP!

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The views expressed by this contributor do not neccesarily reflect the policys of The GMB Nationally or of the GMB London Region.

Currently all that is required for a Polish/Czech individual wanting to become a Private Hire driver in London is a letter from their embassy saying they are of good charactor - no CRB checks - they can even have a medical in their own country and that is also acceptable.

Within two weeks of arriving they can be working as a Private Hire driver.

Its a bloody disgrace!!!

How do we know they have not bribed officials to obtain these documents?

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"Where to, Guv'?. Na sorry not going my way"

As someone who has recruited drivers fromPoland in recent months I can tell you what process we followed.

Let me point out these guys were resident in Poland and not over here when recruited.

Each candidate had to go to there local police and obtain a certificate of good conduct. This is an official document stamped and signed.

We also sent them to their local GP with two copies of the medical (one in English and one translated in Polish).

In England the CRB is just a (totally usless) middle man. When you send you CRB in they simply send them onto Police Authorities that they feel suitable. Our local Police Authority, who we ring to chase CRB forms, have a pending file of 14,000 reviews to do.

I am totally happy that the Polish record check system is quicker, cheaper and far more reliable than the English version.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

And only goes back 10 years

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Why do you have to recruit drivers from Poland in the first place?

Expensive tyres?

GBC

Probably for exactly the same reason that in my area every hotel, factory, restaurant, hospital, building company, haulage company, petrol station and even our local undertaker have to employ Eastern European workers.

There are too many jobs and not enough workers.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

Or the pays so bad people from this country cannot afford to do it / won't do it?

quite possibly.

Unfortunately we don't all live in a protected market free from competition.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

No Tom, But we do all live in this country, and the standard should be the same for everyone, otherwise it becomes a farce, people are being deluded into believing that people who have been CRB checked are safe to be in a position of trust regarding children and the vulnerable

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Sorry Mr T, I can't fathom what your argument is.

Are you saying that the British CRB is flawed or that the equivalent check from other european countries is flawed.

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A member of the Hire or Reward Industry

Tom, In this country the advanced CRB goes back in a person's history to day one,but when the CRB request information from another country, the information that is returned is only what is required in that country's system, it could go back 10 years in one country or it could go back five years in another, or if the contrary does not require a check it could simply state nothing is known, this system stinks. my argument is that if people from outside of this country cannot supply the same level of information then they should not be licensed until their country has a system in place that is parallel to the one we work under.
my concern for this goes past licensing of drivers, think of schools, nursing homes, and much much more.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

This is getting boring I and my Branch agree absolutely with MrT.Presumably Tom Thumb morality is not in your vocabulary, wonder how you would feel when one of this lot Murder or Rape one of your family????????????????????????????/
ORGANISE EDUCATE AGITATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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The views expressed by this contributor do not neccesarily reflect the policys of The GMB Nationally or of the GMB London Region.