Taxi Driver Online

Berwick upon Tweed have recently started requiring a further check to ensure fitmess and propriety of the drivers it licenses.

Unlike most councils Berwick require a Enhanced CRB anuually, where other councils require CRB checks less regularly. This means in actual terms, that a licensed driver can commit an offence the day after becoming licensed, continue to work and even renew their licenses until their council demands another CRB.
Although this extra cost is met by the applicant, and possibly the reason why such a scheme would not recieve trade support is because of that issue, for drivers licensed in Berwick the fee for licenses is set at such a level as to cover the cost of the licensing function and are therefore cheaper than elsewhere, so even with this "extra" cost added the total actual cost is comparible if not cheaper.

On top of that:

To ensure that drivers comply with the requirement to advise the local authority of the status of their DVLA licence in relation to penalty points and driver entitlement, Berwick now insist that permission is given by every applicant for Berwick Council to enquire with a firm called Intelligent Data Systems who will upon request give an updated status of the actual driver entitlement.
What this means is that a driver who hold a "clean licence" for certain things will no longer be able to pass it off within his application to Berwick for a drivers licence, or if they chose to would not become licensed due to the incorrect details supplied, something that would draw to question their fitness and propriety.


Now I wonder .......................... how many councils would insist on annual Enhanced CRB chesks and consider that cost when deciding fees and how many councils would consider checking the driving licenses with an approved agency without making further charges to the applicant.

After all the confusion over standards in Berwick, and bearing in mind that vehicles cannot drive themselves, I believe that Berwick's policies relating to fitness and propriety of their drivers exceeds that of the vast majority of local authorities in England and Wales.

Could it be that local authorities should be considering improving their standards to the same level as Berwick seem to be ......................

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

I would say that every council will do something similar within a year or so via the ISA register.

http://www.isa-gov.org.uk/

Once a driver is registered, every conviction/warning/caution/arrest etc will be sent straight to your council.

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IDFIMH

So as far as fitness and proriety checks ................. Berwick are a year ahead of the majority of councils

Leading the way in licensing issues ...................... well I never did

I wonder how many phone calls Mr Wilson will have from other authorities who want to follow their lead.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

Not half as many as the job applications the c*nt will thankfully have to make

May his next p*ss involve barbed wire

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Well I suspect none, because whatever he is doing he is going to have to change it completely soon.

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IDFIMH

Maybe or maybe not ............... I suppose it depend upon what is decided by the issuing authority.

But higher standards stand a better chance of being retained than lower standards.

I think getting a new authority will lead to a better service for the public .............. and the drivers of the area concerned.

Maybe it will not deliver quite what some of us would want.

B. Lucky

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"Here's a simple solution. If you don't want to pay more for a premium service then wait in the queue, problem solved".
Skull on TDO

TF pi$$ed on his chips.

You mean local licensing for local people?

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I think any of the new authorities will be more concerned with who is in line for the browns first before any new taxi PH legislation

The ISA act hasn't got a sec 75 type exemption just for Berwick, so they will have no choice.

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IDFIMH

Our CRB is every 3 years but we have to inform the licensing department within 7 days of any convictions that we get.

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Grandad,

Convicted criminals are being granted licences to drive taxis, investigation has uncovered. Offences such as selling an offensive
weapon, fraud and being drunk and disorderly on East Lancashire drivers’ records.
And a licensing committee chairman revealed a murderer’s accomplice was granted a taxi licence.
Critics said it was ‘frightening’ that people with such convictions were able to get a job in which they would be left transporting lone
passengers and children.
But taxi association bosses insisted the checks protected the public and claimed “out of touch” council committees were too tough on
people asking for a licence.
Just Blackburn with Darwen and Pendle borough councils provided the details following a Freedom of Information request submitted
by the Lancashire Telegraph. Burnley, Ribble Valley and Hyndburn councils were unable to respond as they destroy the data once a
criminal record check is carried out.
These councils have been criticised by an ‘astonished’ MP who said bosses should have to explain why the data was not held.
Rossendale Council confirmed it did hold the information but refused to provide it, citing the Data Protection Act.
The investigation found: • Drivers in Blackburn with Darwen had five offences including careless driving, refusing to report an accident,
fraud and using threatening and abusive language.
Pendle Council provided information of 33 driving offences among its drivers, including speeding, drink driving and using a mobile
phone. It also had a driver with a conviction for selling an offensive weapon to someone aged under 16 and another guilty of disorderly
behaviour with intent to cause fear of provocation of violence.
Official guidance to councils from the Department for Transport says it is ultimately up to town hall licensing committees to regulate and
licence taxis.
It advises that officials must strike a balance between keeping the public safe from potentially dangerous drivers and being
too restrictive, which could cause a driver shortage, forcing customers to walk about alone at night. But Coun Roy Davies, chairman of
Blackburn with Darwen’s licensing sub committee, said the process needed ‘tightening up’. He said: “It worries me that my wife goes
out with friends and a taxi brings her back. If I don’t feel safe about my wife, why should anyone else?
“The frightening thing is the powers that be say it’s okay.” Coun Davies claimed one applicant had been granted a licence despite a
crime file that included “assisting a murderer”. He added: “Sometimes I think to myself, ‘what if my wife or sister was coming home in
this guy’s car?’ “In many cases, our hands are tied, and we have to grant
it.”
Coun Mohammed Iqbal, leader of Labour group on Pendle Council and
also on the taxi licensing sub-committee, said: “When a taxi driver has a
criminal conviction, however old it is, we interview them before deciding
whether to grant a licence and look at the merit for each one. "If someone
had a record for something serious we would not grant a licence.
"We may overlook it if they had a police caution or something similar but if
it was something like rape or drink driving then there are no favours there
for anyone. "At the end of the day we have got to protect the people of
Pendle."
Hyndburn MP Greg Pope said he was "astonished" Hyndburn Council
destroyed criminal records details of its taxi drivers.
He said the council should explain itself and re-acquire the information.
Mr Pope said: “This is extraordinary. The travelling public need to have
assurances that the people who are driving them are safe to be in the car
with them. "I am sure the vast majority of drivers are safe and reliable but
it is worrying if the council doesn't have a record of who has a criminal
record, especially when you think about women travelling alone in cabs."
Glenn Burdock, chairman of Rossendale taxi drivers’ association, said the
guidelines were strict and added. “In my opinion they should give more
licences than they do. "We are not talking about dangerous offences.
"People in Rossendale can sleep safely in their beds: taxi drivers are very
carefully vetted”.
Mohammed Younis, of Blackburn with Darwen Hackney Carriage
Association, added: “This used to be an issue but they are very strict
now. “If they have a criminal record they won’t get a licence. "If they go
through a CRB check there’s nothing to worry about” .