Taxi Driver Online

A five-month investigation has cleared Telford & Wrekin’s licensing team of direct racial discrimination against taxi firms, but found officers were “over zealous” in enforcement towards Asian drivers.

The external inquiry, launched after allegations by taxi and private hire firms, was concerned the team’s enforcement activity had “disproportionately affected” Asian drivers on a number of occasions.

The official report, published today, said the council failed in its legal duties set out under the Race Relations Act 2000.

It said the response reinforced drivers’ view there was “indifference” towards the allegations raised by the taxi trade in May.

It also states the eight-strong licensing team, which includes no members of minority communities, is perceived as authoritarian and “police-like” because of its emphasis on enforcement, rather than education and help.

The authority has promised to address the “several areas of concern” raised in the report.

Council chiefs met drivers, operators and owners yesterday to hear the findings ahead of them being published today.

The taxi trade had claimed the licensing team was operating in a racist and discriminating way, targeting the Asian community in spot checks, plying for trade inspections and a ban on dark-tinted windows.

It led to the authority commissioning an independent investigation led by Gurbux Singh, former Commission for Racial Equality chairman.

His report suggested the team would benefit from recruiting people from ethnic minorities to help the current stormy relationship.

He also recommended the council improved its record- keeping to ensure it was not deliberately targeting sections of the community.

Steve Wellings, the council’s interim chief executive, said: “I am pleased the report did not conclude direct race discrimination exists, though we clearly need now to go through all of the report’s findings to see what action we need to take to improve our taxi licensing services.”

He added the council would form a new consultative group to work closer with the taxi trade to strike a better balance between education and enforcement.

Friday, November 10th, 2006 at 3:48 pm Courtesy Shropshire Star.com
http://www.shropshirestar.co.uk/2006/11 ... taxi-team/