Taxi Driver Online

Taxi drivers who fail Telford council standards test still working in area - cabinet member

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/tra ... et-member/

Taxi drivers who fail Telford and Wrekin’s standards tests still work in the area with licences from neighbouring councils, a cabinet member has said.

Richard Overton, the portfolio holder for enforcement in the borough’s Labour administration, was speaking in support of a motion opposing cross-border hiring.

The motion – which passed unanimously – was tabled by Conservative councillor Stephen Burrell and called on the Government to to allow local authorities greater control of the private hire operators in their area.

Cllr Burrell said a “doubtlessly well-intentioned” law change four years ago aimed to streamline the licence application process, but also “diluted” local authorities’ control.

Cllr Overton said: “Prior to the Deregulation Act of 2015, private-hire operators were only permitted to subcontract jobs to operators licenced by the same authority as themselves. Following deregulation, they were permitted to subcontract to operators licenced by any authority in England and Wales.

“For example, a booking will be received for a job in Telford and that job could be lawfully subcontracted to operators licenced by Wolverhampton City Council, who in turn would be able to subcontract a Shropshire-licenced vehicle and driver to undertake that work.”

He said the council had repeatedly lobbied the Government for a change in the rules.

“Here in Telford and Wrekin, to protect our public, we have robust standards in place for vehicles and drivers,” he said.

“These standards are not always mirrored by our neighbouring authorities.”

He said Telford and Wrekin required drivers to undergo child sexual exploitation and disability awareness training and did not grant vehicle licences to cars with darkened windows that would obscure outsiders’ view of passengers inside. Shropshire Council, Cllr Overton said, required less thorough training and did not have a light trasmittence policy for car windows.

“There have been numerous instances of drivers failing this council’s standards test and, subsequently, being granted a licence by Wolverhampton City Council,” he added.

“We have the ridiculous situation of a driver who has been refused by Telford and Wrekin Council still being able to work in Telford.”

Cllr Burrell said: “In the absence of national standards, we would ask that the council commit to working with neighbouring local authorities to develop and adopt a set of minimal standards, following on from which we would ask the council to seek development of a reciprocal approach with those authorities.

“By holding the Government to account, being fully compliant with the most recent guidelines and working with local authorities, we can demonstrate emphatically to all residents that our council is doing everything within its power to ensure their journeys are both agreeable and safe.”

Why are they so surprised at what goes on

and more to the point what powers do they think they will get

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

Welcome to 2019.

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IDFIMH

I'm not sure they are surprised, they just want show the locals they don't support it and would love the powers to stop it.

I think being allowed to stop and check every licensed vehicle that operates in your licensing area is a step forward.

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IDFIMH

our current government can't even come up with a suggestion to the EU to break the brexit deadlock so can't see them being able to sort this out

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

So a month ago Telford had 'robust standards in place', but now it seems they're not robust enough

And what does this doubly robust new regime say about the other authorities that 'didn't always mirror' Telford's robustness?


Telford taxi drivers face tough crackdown

https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/tra ... crackdown/

Tougher rules on who can be licensed to drive taxis have been agreed by councillors.

Telford & Wrekin Council's Licensing Committee met last night and agreed to press ahead with changes that will significantly lengthen the amount of time convicted criminals have to wait before they can apply for a licence.

The plans come amid concern from the authority over licensing for private hire drivers in Telford – an issue reignited earlier this year when a driver in the town was jailed for sexually assaulting a female passenger.

It emerged that the convicted driver had not been licensed by Telford & Wrekin Council, and had instead secured his permit in another council area.

The council has been lobbying the government for a change in the rules which would prevent drivers from working in areas where they did not obtain their licence.

The new plans will see the authority toughen up its own licensing, limiting those who can be licensed.

Under the policy crimes that result in death, involve exploitation, or sex and indecency offences, will see the perpetrators permanently excluded from obtaining a licence.

A series of other offences will have a rehabilitation period before people become eligible to apply.

Enhanced

Those convicted of supplying drugs will not be able to apply for ten years after the end of their sentence, while sentences involving possession of a weapon, dishonesty, or discrimination, will all have a rehabilitation period of seven years.

Drink and drug driving offences will also have rehabilitation periods of seven years, while people convicted of using a mobile phone while driving will have to wait five years before they are eligible.

A 28 day consultation on the plans will now take place with the taxi industry and barring any delays the new policy would come into force from January 1 next year.

The new plans come as the council revealed it is in discussions with nearby City of Wolverhampton Council, where a number of the drivers who work in Telford obtain their licences.

Angie Astley, assistant director of Telford & Wrekin Council: "We have been lobbying the Government to secure a national set of standards for licensing conditions across the country and we'll continue to do that.

"We haven't had any feedback from the Government yet that they are going to make those changes so in the absence of that taxi drivers can go and get a licence in Wolverhampton where their standards are lower than ours.

"We have been in conversation with Wolverhampton. The deputy leader of T&W Council, Councillor Richard Overton, had a meeting with the chair of the licensing committee in Wolverhampton last week and we're meeting with officers of their licensing team next week to see if we can come to some local agreement that their standards will be enhanced to meet ours."

Good luck with that one.

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IDFIMH