Taxi Driver Online

More than 100 criminals given taxi licences

CABBIES with serious criminal convictions are being allowed to work across the North East. A Chronicle probe has revealed more than 100 taxi drivers with criminal records have been granted hackney cab licences.

Licences were issued to drivers with convictions for firearms offences, indecent assault, dangerous driving, harassment, theft and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. A total of 101 licences were granted to drivers with past convictions or cautions after compulsory Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks.

Among them, Newcastle City Council’s licensing committee authorised three drivers with cautions for battery, one for possession of a firearm and one for indecent assault. Newcastle City Council also granted licenses to five cabbies with convictions for driving without insurance.

Gateshead Council authorised one driver who had been disqualified for three years for drink-driving, a licence was given to a cabbie with two convictions for threatening behaviour, and one to a driver with an assault conviction.

Durham City Council revealed one driver is facing three charges of forgery, one has convictions for theft and deception and another was given a caution for handling stolen goods.

Chester-le-Street has cabbies on its books with convictions for theft, drink-driving, possession of class-B drugs and public order offences. South Tyneside Council lists a cabbie with a conviction for grievous bodily harm.

Mohammed Suleman, managing director of the Newcastle Owner-Drivers’ Association and a taxi driver of 20 years’ experience, said: “It’s unbelievable. There are people out there not fit to be taxi drivers. We had a guy coming to us for a job who had already been sacked as a bouncer for beating someone up.

“We have a secondary interview process. We don’t just take anyone. Sometimes we get people turning up and we’re thinking, ‘How the hell has this guy got a badge?’.”

Twelve local authorities across the North East released the data under the Freedom of Information Act. Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Gateshead would only provide figures for the last seven months.

Tynedale Council revealed five licences were granted following adverse CRB checks, but said the records had been destroyed. Castle Morpeth Borough Council said four licences were granted to dodgy cabbies, but refused to provide any details, claiming that to do so would breach the Data Protection Act. Wansbeck District Council did not supply any details.

A spokesman for Newcastle City Council said: “We must make it clear that these licence holders represent a tiny percentage of licensed hackney cab and private hire drivers in Newcastle, and reassure people that taxis are a very safe way of getting around. “The law does not automatically ban anyone from being granted a licence on the grounds of previous criminal convictions.”

Elaine Rudman, licensing manager for Gateshead Council, said: “Gateshead Council’s regulatory committee will only grant a licence to someone they believe to be a fit and proper person, and will reach its decisions using the Government’s advice and guidance. “Members treat each application on a case-by-case basis.”

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IDFIMH

Any figures for Berwick??

It appears they are all squeaky clean.

Maybe Newcastle should make it a condition of license that all their vehicles are checked by Berwick.

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IDFIMH

Hmmmmmm........................... I think it would be quite a challenge to find a council who haven't licenced people with criminal records. they have to consider each case on merit and if an existing driver goes up before them its usually a case of very sorry it won't happen again etc etc sob sob i've been such a fool please give me a second chance and if you don't i'll sue you for racial discrimination !!

Is there any come back for joe public if he happens to be attacked, assaulted etc by a driver with a previous conviction. Surely this could be considered neglect on the councils part for not protecting the public which is it's main aim with all it's regulations etc.

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Do you remember when Mansfield Council gave a licence to a guy who'd been charged for gross indecency against children? He'd also got a load of convictions for burglary and motoring offences.

The guardians of the public allow this Is the point ; we must get as much money in via taxi licence fees to make sure that jobs are safe and that there is enough money to run the respective department?

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.