Criminals allowed to keep taxi licences in Merseyside Around 100 driver applicants were given licences despite having criminal convictions Figures show that criminal offenders have been allowed to keep their taxi licences in Merseyside.
Criminal offenders have been allowed to keep their taxi licences in Merseyside, the ECHO can reveal.
The cabbies did not have their licences taken off them despite their convictions coming to light, according to new figures.
Those figures also show that, in one year, around 100 people were issued licences in Liverpool and Sefton in spite of their criminal records.
Among those applicants deemed “fit and proper” to drive cabs were people who had convictions for violence, racially aggravated assault and drink driving.
A spokesman for Liverpool City Council said all cabbies must tell the council as soon as they are convicted of an offence.
The Taxi Driver Licensing sub-committee then judges whether that conviction means the driver should be able to keep their licence.
Figures obtained under Freedom of Information laws show that 48 drivers with criminal convictions in Liverpool and 46 in Sefton were issued licences for private hire taxis and Hackneys between November 2014 and October 2015.
Criminals who were approved for licences or allowed to keep their licences include drug dealers, and people who had previously been banned from driving.
Liverpool City Council said all taxi drivers must tell the council as soon as they are convicted of an offence
The LCC spokesman said: “Each application for a licence is judged on its merits and the fact than an applicant has convictions does not, and cannot in law, automatically mean that they must be prohibited from holding a licence.
“The sub-committee’s role is to decide whether they are satisfied that the applicant is a ‘fit and proper person’ because in law an applicant must satisfy the council on this test.”
The ECHO can also reveal that rapists, paedophiles and dangerous drivers are among those who have applied to be granted licences.
Between November 2014 and October 2015, more than a third of new applicants to be taxi drivers in Merseyside had previous convictions.
Among the previous convictions held by applicants were two for rape in Liverpool, one in Wirral and an attempted rape in St Helens .
There were also convictions for the sexual assault of a girl under 13, attempted intercourse with a girl under 16, causing or inciting a girl under 13 to engage in sexual activity and inciting a boy to commit an act of gross indecency.
It is not clear from the information provided if these individuals were ultimately granted licences.
In total, 1,573 out of 4,623 (34%) applicants from Merseyside were revealed to have previous convictions.
A Sefton Council spokesman said applicants with convictions such as sexual offences against children or young people will “normally be refused”.
They said: “When we receive an application with a disclosed conviction it is considered on its individual merits, including what the conviction was for, the length and type of sentence imposed by the courts, the age of the conviction and if they breach the licensing conviction policy.”
source:
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liv ... s-10918428
Login
Register
FAQ
