Taxi Driver Online

Unsurprising that the girl and parent panicked here

I wonder what the involvement of the despatch office was here, though?

How did the driver know his next run while on the school run, precisely, and did he pick up the next job with the girl still in the car on his own volition, or was the office involved in that decision?

Maybe the driver is taking all the blame for something the office should shoulder some of the responsibility for, but who knows?


School taxi contract ended over safeguarding fears

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd9y271ew87o

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/ace/standard/9 ... 0.jpg.webp
Image: BBC

A council has terminated its contract with a taxi company to take a 13-year-old girl with disabilities to school after safeguarding concerns were raised.

Angela, from Mansfield Woodhouse, said her daughter had been driven off-route during a journey home with A1 Private Hire Ltd, to near an abandoned building in Slant Lane, where an unknown person was picked up by the driver.

She said that although the male passenger later left the vehicle and her daughter was taken home, it had "terrified" the girl and represented a serious safeguarding breach.

The taxi firm said it had "immediately" suspended the driver, and Nottinghamshire County Council apologised for "any distress caused".

The mum-of-five said she had been in constant contact with her daughter, Lottie, during her trip and had been tracking her location using an app.

The teenager receives transport assistance provided by the council because she uses a stoma bag, has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and is neurodivergent.

"I noticed as I was following her, she wasn't coming home, she was going in a different direction," Angela said.

'Absolutely terrified'

She said Lottie then called her to tell her that something was not right.

"She was scared and worried because she was outside an abandoned building and another man was getting in the car, so obviously, I panicked and phoned the owner of the [taxi] company."

Angela said the taxi company called the driver with her concerns and the other passenger left the car.

"This shouldn't happen, it's a safeguarding issue, they should know before going to pick Lottie up the conditions of her route home," Angela said.

"Lottie was so upset, she was absolutely terrified... because she didn't know where she was."

She said the county council had supported her after she reported her concerns and had offered an alternative transport provider, as well as an assistant to join Lottie on the journey to make her "feel comfortable".

"I'm just terrified now, and it's going to make me one of those parents that are constantly making sure she's there.

"I do anyways... but this transport gave Lottie a bit of independence and now I'm fearing are we going to lose that because of what's happened."

'Unacceptable'

A spokesman for A1 Private Hire Ltd, based in Pinxton, Derbyshire, said the actions of the driver had been "unacceptable" and they had been suspended.

The firm said the driver had been running late and went to pick up his next assignment while Lottie was still in the car, which was at a learning facility, near the derelict building.

The spokesman said the company informs all of its drivers they should never pick anyone else up when on a contract like this.

"He shouldn't [have done it], it's a safeguarding issue, you can't pick up two students if they're not in the same contract.

"I don't know what happened to the driver, sometimes they do stupid things," he said.

Derek Higton, executive director for Place at Nottinghamshire County Council, said once the authority learned what took place, it terminated the firm's contract to take Lottie to school and a new provider for the family was arranged.

"We have also taken steps to ensure that the driver involved in this incident will no longer work on any Nottinghamshire County Council contracts.

"[The firm] is undertaking an investigation into this incident and we await their report outcome.

"We have informed our multi-agency safeguarding hub and will also ensure that this incident has been reported to the taxi licensing authority.

"We will continue to support the family and would like to apologise for any distress caused," he said.

I assumed it was a reasonably-sized despatch operation, which would maybe call into question how the driver would know his next job. But can barely find any online presence for the operation, so it's maybe very small scale, so that might explain how he came to pick up his next job while still on the school run

Pinxton is a former pit village with just over 5000 population so I doubt a "big" operation could flourish there. It is surrounded by other conurbations of similar size and is just down the road from where former forum regular nidge used to work

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

So you can take two students on the same contract, but not two students under two separate contracts?

I get that maybe one students is unable to travel with others, but to me, this is hardly the crime of the century it's being made out to be.

Maybe the grumpy mum could actually pick up her own kid, like the vast majority of parents in this country.

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IDFIMH

There is nop mention that the other passenger was a student. It says that they were picked up at a learning facility. I would guess that this person was an adult, possibly with learning disabilities. Either way it is still a safeguarding issue.

But why did the mum go straight to the press.

By all means complain to the council, the cab firm or even the school. But bellyaching to the press is prime example of chav behaviour.

And I repeat again, hardly crime of the century.

I also repeat if mum has such concerns why doesn’t she pick the girl up herself?

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IDFIMH

There are a few additional details, nuances and photos in the Nottingham Post version, just to make Sussex's day

(On the other hand, one point made by the mother will genuinely please Sussex, if not some of us )

The involvement of the office in this still sounds a bit odd to me, as if they're trying to shift ALL the blame on the driver, but it smells to me like they were also involved in the double pick-up

Wolves-badged as well, but I doubt that's particularly significant.

But maybe instructive that the photos also supplied by the mother to the press

And by the looks of what she's saying, sounds like she's well up to speed with all the safeguarding stuff relating to you-know-what etc, and the taxi issues surrounding that.


Taxi driver banned from county council jobs as vulnerable girl, 13, left terrified

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/d ... i-10502074

The driver, employed by A1 Cars, has been suspended as an investigation is ongoing


Image: Nottingham Post

A taxi driver has been banned from taking up any jobs with Nottinghamshire County Council following a safeguarding incident involving a 13-year-old girl. Lottie Turner, from Pleasley, was being driven home in an A1 Cars taxi after school on Wednesday, September 10, when the incident took place.

Her mum, Angela Turner, 44, explained that the teenager has transport provided by the council due to her health conditions, which include being neurodiverse and having two stoma bags. Angela was following her daughter's journey home through an app as usual when she noticed the car was going in the wrong direction.

She said: "Lottie messaged me to say another man was in the taxi and she was scared. I immediately called the taxi company owner and he was very rude, shouting at me and saying I was lying."

On the way, an unknown man, who is also understood to be vulnerable, was picked up by the same driver near to an abandoned building in Mansfield Woodhouse. In a sound recording taken by Lottie and shared with Nottinghamshire Live, two men can be heard seemingly fighting.

https://i2-prod.nottinghampost.com/inco ... PMjpeg.jpg
Image: Nottingham Post

Angela explained that, due to Lottie's disabilities and conditions, the child requires to be in the taxi on her own, with no other students present. On the day of the incident, Angela was told the girl's usual driver was not available, and so she was picked up by a replacement driver from the Manor Academy in Mansfield Woodhouse.

Terrified for her daughter's safety, the mother called the taxi company and the unknown man then left the car. The girl, who had been using the service on and off for the past year-and-a-half, was then safely brought home.

Angela said: "It's a big safeguarding issue. I want my child to feel safe. She was shaking when she came in, she was crying and she was upset. This wasn't an accident. She doesn't feel safe anymore now. I think CCTV cameras in taxis are 100 percent needed for the safety of children and other vulnerable people."

A spokesman for A1 Cars confirmed that the driver, licensed by City of Wolverhampton, has been suspended. He explained that the unknown man, also a student, was picked up by the driver to save time.

He said: "He doesn't have any jobs with us anymore. He should have dropped off Lottie first and then pick up the other student. It's a safeguarding issue and we are so upset and frustrated with him.

"It's unforgivable, so we suspended him straight away. He made a mistake and there's no excuse about it." The spokesman added that "nobody shouted at Lottie's mother".

Derek Higton, executive director for Place at Nottinghamshire County Council, said the authority has terminated its contract with A1 Cars. He said: "We are aware of an incident with A1 taxis involving one of our Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) transport contracts.

"Upon finding out about the incident, we terminated this contract between A1 taxis and the local authority. A new transport provider has been arranged for this family.

"We have also taken steps to ensure that the driver involved in this incident will no longer work on any Nottinghamshire County Council contracts. A1 taxis is undertaking an investigation into this incident and we await their report outcome.

"We have informed our multi agency safeguarding hub and will also ensure that this incident has been reported to the taxi licensing authority. We will continue to support the family and would like to apologise for any distress caused."

Did she go straight to the press? She rang the office whilst her daughter was still in the car didn't she?
You say hardly the crime of the century, is that because nothing actually went wrong? What if this had been a different outcome and something did go wrong?

What happens when this girl walks down the road? Does everyone else have to cross to the other side?

When she goes to a restaurant or cinema, does everyone else have to leave?

Is she the only person at the school? Or do they have other special needs kids there?

If they go on a school outing, does she travel alone?

Does she have the plane to herself when she goes on holiday?

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IDFIMH

Now you are just being silly.

Well I’m with grandad on this one, she did exactly the right thing. Would the driver need a shared taxi licence to pick other passengers up? Not on the same contract, if my memory serves me right, the only people allowed to be carried on these contracts are the ones named on the contract. Even parents weren’t allowed.

Look, I think everyone can agree the driver was a knob head of the highest order.

But the article, and the reaction from mum, imply she was in mortal danger from this other person.

I merely disagree.

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IDFIMH

noted but the rest of say Grandad is correct so shall we leave it at that ?

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