Will spent convictions from over 20 years ago stop a new badge license from being granted?
drink driving and also a caution for possession of a marjuana joint?

You should be ok.

20 years is a long time.

The council you are looking at should have a policy on who they license and when they license, and that should include time limits on criminal matters.

Our new "proposed" policy (cough) now requires (in addition to prosecutions and such) that they be informed if a driver gets a CCJ or goes bankrupt, it seems such miscreants are not "fit and proper" persons to hold a badge...........

Always thought you could not have a TAXI license if you were bankrupt.

Always thought you could not have a TAXI license if you were bankrupt.

Why on earth not?

Not sure about outside London, but sure there's always been some sort of financial standing test for awarding a licence in the capital (proprietor's at least; not so sure about driver's).

And recall that the proposals for tackling the 'hidden economy' in the trade a few weeks ago mentioned that: "New “fit and proper” criteria may include an assessment of an applicant’s financial integrity."

Which I assume would relate to things like bankruptcy, creditworthiness etc.

For what it's worth, my own view is that this should effectively be left to the individual and/or the private sector, so if the applicant can raise the money to put a vehicle on that meets the standard then why shouldn't they? This could be an informal loan from a relative (say), or if they manage to get a loan or HP then the private sector has obviously checked the applicant's financial status and OKed it.

Not sure councillors should be second-guessing that.

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=33478

Speaking to someone the other day and I was shocked at what they said about DBS checks.

Some have been coming back not showing offences that the drivers had admitted to on their application forms, and some DBS checks have been coming back without serious offences being logged.

I believe representations have been made.

Not all drivers own their car. Non of our drivers do, they rent them from us.. If creditworthiness was to be a consideration them there would be thousands of drivers who would loose their badges.

Not all drivers own their car.

Non of our drivers do, they rent them from us..

If creditworthiness was to be a consideration them there would be thousands of drivers who would loose their badges.

"taxi driver" is the single largest number of an category in the bankruptcy listings,....

the reasons "behind" bankruptcy are many-fold, from unemployment to divorce to illness, and its personal, whereas a LTD company seems able to fold and restart at ease...

I hear Simon Widdowson haulage LTD locked the gates just before xmas but a "phoenix" company had maybe bought its assets already and it could be trading on without the debts..............