Taxi Driver Online

New taxi law 'could let rapists drive cabs': Government proposals could permit anyone to drive licensed vehicle without going through council vetting process

• Government’s Deregulation Bill will be debated in the Lords next month
  
• Would allow anyone to drive licensed vehicle without vetting process
  
• Critics say new law would put passengers 'across country in real danger'
  
• Proposals follow revelation some Rotherham victims were raped in cabs

Convicted sex offenders could pick up passengers in licensed minicabs under new Government plans, according to critics who say they pose a ‘real danger’ to the British public.

The Government’s Deregulation Bill, which will be debated in the Lords next month, could permit anyone to drive a licensed vehicle without going through a council vetting process.

The proposals come as the full extent of taxi drivers’ involvement in the Rotherham child abuse scandal – in which some victims were raped in cabs after being picked up outside schools – continues to emerge.

The Government’s Deregulation Bill, which will be debated in the Lords next month, could permit anyone to drive a licensed vehicle without going through a council vetting process

Currently, anyone looking to operate as a private hire vehicle operator must obtain a licence from a council, which checks for previous criminal convictions and can refuse licences if it feels the applicant is not a ‘fit and proper person’.

Operators are able to operate only in the area in which they are licensed.

Under deregulation, a licensed driver could operate outside his area and enforcement officers in that area would not be able to check if he has been vetted.

It will also allow licensed private hire operators to pass work to drivers who may not have been through the vetting process.

Critics have hit out at the move. Rachel Griffin, director of personal safety campaign group the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, said: ‘The changes are going to put people across the country in real danger as they will make it much easier for someone with a past of violence and sexual offences to pose as a legitimate driver.’

A Department of Transport spokesman said: ‘The Deregulation Bill will not put taxi passengers at risk and drivers will continue to have their backgrounds routinely checked. Councils will have strong tools to assess drivers’ and operators’ suitability and to carry out enforcement activity.

‘The Disclosure and Barring Service [which replaced the criminal Records Bureau] will allow licensing authorities to discover any new convictions during the lifetime of a driver’s licence.’

Police estimate there are more than 1,000 sexual assaults each year involving taxi drivers in London alone.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... z3Chib9EPI

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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 it is a daft rule that the wife needs to buy a car when we have one sitting outside the house. I am all for having the spouse named on the insurance as a driver. No one with any sense would take the chance to ply for hire as i am sure that you would get slammed by the law if you did.

I think it is daft that allowing this is even seriously being considered.

With the greatest of respect Paul, will your wife:

1. Not use Bus lanes.

2. Put fuel in which you will subsequently not charge against Tax.

3. Never give "lifts".

4. Pay the mileage rate for distance covered in your PH on her own Tax.

Separately, if potential Transgressors, be they Rapists, Terrorists or Black Economy workers already go to the effort of pretending to be Taxi or PH drivers, how much easier to simply have access to a vehicle that is already licenced.

I hope Their Lordships see some sense and scrap all three of these lunatic provisions.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

Supose you are right when you look at it like that....even now bad people are slipping tru the net...http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/news/loca ... -1-6280190

Personally I think it is sensationalist twaddle. Listening to these people would suggest that as soon as the deregulation bill becomes law, everyone will suddenly turn into a criminal or a kiddie fiddler.
Maybe drivers disclose every detail of when they take their wives shopping and give mates a lift themselves.

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Grandad,

I don't suggest for one minute that "everyone will suddenly turn into a criminal or kiddie fiddler", I do suggest it provides an easy opportunity for those that are in these categories already.

If one single "Kramer Rape" or other illegal activity occurs, it is one too many.

It does not include Taxis, only PH, yet it is not, I assure you, jealousy on my part. It would in fact be even worse if it included Taxis.

I, along with many others, can only hope that these 3 potential disasters are removed by the Upper House.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

It is already easy. Anyone driving a car at the right time of night and being in the right area will get asked to take people home. That happens in ordinary cars without any signs on at all.
how will making drivers badges 3 years instead of 1 and operators licenses 5 years instead of 2 be a disaster when all the information required by a council will be available online at any time?

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Grandad,

If it's already easy and we have problems why would it be better to make it easier?

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

The headlines wrong - its a minicab law, not taxi law ffs

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

It's a generic term 'taxi' I think there are ph and hackney carriages

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

Why is it making it easier? The new legislation will not make it any easier. The owner of a licensed vehicle who does not let a kiddie fiddler use his car now will not let one use it after, nor will he allow a rapist to use it. Why would he? The only people who are likely to allow such use of their vehicle are already letting it be used.

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Grandad,

'generic' - characteristic of or relating to a class or group of things; not specific.

I don't think taxi is a generic term tbh - I think people who believe that are in general minicab folk - and of course rapists.

of course rapist could be a generic term for minicab driver

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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 don't agree with you. You have pre booked vehicles and you have hackney carriages. You also have aeroplanes and they all taxi in some form or other. What they do is generic, but, what they are is not. Also when the hackney trade is clear of rapists then and only then should you comment about it being a generic term for ph

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

thanks - I was gonna also call them f*ckwits, but that would include councillors

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

I'd have a hard time disagreeing with that statement, I've experienced some difficulties with PH drivers of late

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