Taxi Driver Online

Taxi driver hits out at Durham County Council over school transport

https://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/ ... transport/

A TAXI driver has criticised Durham County Council over the way it awards contracts to transport children and vulnerable adults to school.

Trade representative for Durham City cabbies, Neville Forbes, said the council is running a two-tier system with Durham drivers and those from outside the area.

He said those applying for a Durham taxi licence have to pass a council-approved driving test as well as a local knowledge test to operate in the county.

However, he said those bidding for educational contracts did not require either and are “putting children at risk”.

Mr Forbes, who has been a taxi driver for more than 15 years, said: “You have to pass both tests and when we have asked why we have these tests they say it’s safeguarding.

“I accept it and I think it’s a good idea but we also have an integrated transport system with a portal where you can register an interest in contracts – I have asked the council if drivers from outside County Durham tender was lower and they said yes so they’re allowing out of town drivers to transport vulnerable adults and school children without all of the criteria.”

Mr Forbes added: “They’re putting the lives of children at risk by allowing contracts to be performed by people who have not reached these standards.

“The only way they can do it fairly is to insist these out of town drivers take these tests – until that takes place they should not be doing education contracts as the council is operating a two-tier system.”

Mr Forbes said he understood the council wanted to get the best deal but that the competition had to be “fair” for all.

He has now submitted a complaint to the council to ask bosses to change the policy.

He said: “I just think if Durham County Council has certain criteria for its drivers then any other driver coming into County Durham to perform contracts should meet the requirements that the county set out – otherwise you are putting children and vulnerable adults at risk.”

Andy Leadbeater, integrated passenger transport manager at Durham County Council, said the council had received Mr Forbes complaint and insisted the safety of children and vulnerable adults was “paramount”.

He said: “Ensuring the safety of children and vulnerable adults is paramount in our transport arrangements and is why all of the drivers and passenger assistants we contract undergo enhanced DBS checks and safeguarding training.

"We have received Mr Forbes’ complaint and will respond to him directly.”

Some cynicism in the comments section about Mr Forbes and his status as some kind of trade rep. Can certainly identify with that kind of thing, but suspect other comments are from Durham's 'spivs', not to mention the wider area that way.

Taxiproblemsindurhamcity

Love to know who decided Neville Forbes represents Durham taxi drivers, blokes spouts nothing but utter ****

Imthatb1tch

This bloke is a [edited by admin] of the highest order.

ADCC TaxiDriver

The Northern Echo are going to end up with egg on their face if they keep reporting fiction made up the the self proclaimed trade rep Mr Forbes!

ANY driver carrying out DCC contracts have to complete a Child Sexual Exploitation Awareness training course, no matter who they are badged with.

As Mr Forbes has held a license for 15 years, he won't have completed the locality test, the knowledge test or the taxi drivers driving test. He got his badge in exactly the same way as the Newcastle drivers he hates, he paid for a DBS check and a medical and was given a badge!

He's a man that thrives on conspiracy theory, he's convinced everything DCC do is to take trade of taxi drivers and pass it to large companies like uber, Blueline, 1AB, chevron and stanley travel. They need to get a reporter to ask him about his views on any of those companies, they'll soon see him for what he is then.

Can't really argue with that.

However when it comes down to money, council's generally don't give a f*** as long as you are cheapest.

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IDFIMH

All this makes for the argument for common standards to be applied across the country like the bus industry does.

50 percent of school contracts round here are operated by Peterborough PH firms because they are the cheapest the drivers have to obtain a separate school contract badge as do local drivers

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector