Taxi Driver Online

Rogue cabbies new check plea



The public must be protected from would-be taxi drivers with police history, even if they haven’t been prosecuted, it was claimed today.


Licensing bosses have been allowed to carry out “enhanced” Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks on potential drivers to ensure public safety for the past 10 years.

It means the CRB can disclose information on an individual, in addition to convictions, which they think may be relevant to the job they’re applying for.

But the government has looked at scrapping the practice, prompting lobbying by the Local Government Association and Transport for London.

Today, Preston’s licensing boss said, without the enhanced checks, people with police histories which “worry the council” would be driving taxis in Preston.

Licensing manager Mike Thorpe said, in recent years, they had refused a licence to a man acquitted of male rape and another to a man accused of having relations with a minor before the case was discontinued by the courts.

He said: “Preston has used this to stop people who have no convictions but where there’s been enough evidence to worry the council.

“Without being able to rely on this additional information, we’d have people like this driving round.

“Without that (information) we’d have granted them licences.

“Our role is to make sure these vehicles and these drivers are safe for the public and to give that assurance, when people’s daughters are out and coming home on their own, they can trust council vehicles and drivers.

“By not having all the information at our disposal to make the right decision, then risks are high.”

The council is currently consulting the public over whether rapists should ever be allowed to drive taxis.

They can currently apply after five years.

People have until January 31 to comment proposed changes to the taxi policy.

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/rogue_cabbies ... _1_4114533

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

Council vehicles and drivers are they?

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Grandad,

The local authority can still refuse applications, the enhanced CRB provides;

the Enhanced Disclosure involves an additional check with the police, who check if any other information is held on file that may be relevant (for instance, investigations that have not led to a criminal record). The police decide what (if any) additional information will be added to the Disclosure. In rare circumstances the police may write to the employer separately giving confidential information about an ongoing criminal investigation into the applicant. This information may not be released to the applicant and the employer cannot reveal it to them.

CC

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

So Preston Council think that rapists should not be licensed taxi drivers.

Would that be convicted rapists only? Or would it include those that have been accused, but not convicted?

And how many times do we hear of false allegations of rape where a life is ruined by a vindictive person making totally untrue claims of sexual assault?

Innocent until PROVEN guilty?

Bet they've still got a ducking stool in Preston. If you drown, you are innocent. if you don't drown you are a witch?

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Former taxi driver

But it's a different burden of proof for councillors deciding these things.

In a criminal trial if there's any reasonable doubt about the accused's guilt then they should be acquitted.

In a council licensing scenario it's essentiallly a case of which side's case seems the more plausible - the police or the applicant, basically.

Not that I would trust councillors to come to the right decision - although there's always the right to appeal - but that's the law.

And how do you appeal, when you are not told the reason for refusal to license?

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Former taxi driver