( The licensing authority has been made aware of complaints against drivers via police, other councils and by passengers themselves. The report made furthest from the West Midlands city came from a complainant more than 150 miles away. Wolverhampton Council, Taxi drivers and council staff say a fond farewell to the 'queen of ^hE/4 Ph @EPsG4R(99 (iH=iOjJ@/&R % Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day's top stories sent directly to you. It is intended solely for the addressee. The data was provided in a Freedom of Information request. ( City of Wolverhampton Council Taxi Licensing Safeguarding Statement, A face-to-face English assessment (followed by a recorded interview where there are any concerns), Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. . )(((h(QE We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. CCTV may also be fitted to cars, with an encrypted system so footage could only be accessed if a crime was reported. City of Wolverhampton Council takes taxi licensing seriously. please follow the link to Wolverhampton City Council Taxi Licensing. Established in 2008. Photo: Wolverhampton Council Drivers gathered outside. ( Drivers must undergo medical certification to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) Group 2 Standards. ( (@QE What action has been taken by Wolverhampton council? ago In Wolverhampton they can use older taxis That's the main reason 13 blake-a-mania 8 mo. ( The authoritys total income from private hire and Hackney Carriage licensing was 157,482. It's quick, easy and (best of all) it's free. Safety and health of drivers and the public; High standards of vehicle safety, comfort and access; Prevention of crime and disorder and the protection of consumers; and, Equality and accessibility in service provision. Whilst people apply to Wolverhampton from all over the country, we conduct compliance operations all over the country. stream the author immediately by replying to this email. Current guidelines allow councils to set their own driver standards, including whether to make the checks. (PE QE Q@ EPEPEPEPQGE Q J( 2023 BBC. (( ) ( ( L9@sG4s@4sG4s@4sG4s@sKG4( ((((aEP0(QE( ( (`QE South Staffordshire Council is handing over taxi and private hire licensing functions to Wolverhampton Council (CWC). It licences drivers from around the UK including Scotland, Manchester and Nottingham. L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council . These guidelines have been consulted on with the industry, police, courts and all other councils. The applicant is also checked against the National Anti-Fraud Networks (NAFN) National Register of Refusals, Revocations and Suspensions (NR3S). This email has been scanned for all viruses and all reasonable precautions Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. 4 0 obj complaints against drivers, are less likely to occur in an environment . JZ(99(J ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ((EPEPER(96 City of Wolverhampton Council Taxi Licensing Safeguarding Statement <> Over the same period Wolverhampton Council had 1,018 applications from private hire drivers based in Walsall. ]k w79`Yu-i%r!H106 43@QX-Wq/ In May 2017, the chair of Wolverhampton's licensing committee, Alan Bolshaw, wrote to Sajid Javid, who was then Communities and Local Government Secretary, urging him to create a national database of drivers so that adequate background checks could be carried out, even suggesting the council fund it. We use the DBS Update Service to check drivers DBS certificates every day of the week. (QA!EPEPEPES ) QE QE This week, the government said it was tightening taxi safety guidelines and considering stopping drivers from operating hundreds of miles away from where they were licensed. Where there are motoring convictions, these are also considered against the Councils guidelines. Printed from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/taxi_complaints_5 on May 02, 2023 00:03. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. xUMo0#HMH,mQ-Uki66>X{o<3n|uYK6+m Successful Weekend Taxi Enforcement Operation - Merseyside Police NihsG4sG499 99 99 J)y JZ)( (QE Wolverhampton City Council Taxi Licensing. Summary of CCTV Requirements 1. Lib Dem campaigner Ian Jenkins, said: The council has turned a vital safety check into a cash cow. NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. Our reference: 1386425, Response all information to be supplied.pdf, 96K (E 4.h i)h(@ E QF( jZ;PEhRCRhZ%4 Z( sEPEaZ5 )VJZHiZ)Qj4 va@b have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. ( ( Councillor Mike Bird, the leader of Walsall Council, said he favoured a change in legislation as the current system was making a mockery of local authority licensing laws. Taxi Complaints - Report a taxi driver | City Of Wolverhampton Council ( (JaIKE9R@J_sMjJ ZJU%0 As of the middle of last month, there were 2,634 applications in the queue, with 1,924 processed but awaiting more information from the applicant. Resolver is not affiliated to, linked with or otherwise endorsed by Wolverhampton City Council. Blackpool taxi drivers bypassing resort's regulations with disseminate the information contained within this e-mail. She then more than doubled the price for the uninsured journey. Wolverhampton Council launched The Additional Restriction Grant - Taxi and Private Hire Grant Scheme to help drivers across the city. The Council is 100% compliant with this KPI. services through our wholly owned subsidiary (Q@Q@QL(EPE% QKI@-%G4s@ %/4sHhy9 94 ) - QG4 sAE- !()hhJ'zVP(g -%(?i ))QCRPE RQHaEPE%- QI@E)i)hQEQE !BQKE u'49hbm8h! 30 March 2022. The driver can only undertake work in a vehicle licensed by City of Wolverhampton Council. Wolverhampton ( 2 0 obj Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. is a registered charity in England and Wales (1076346) C " Taxi drivers protesting in Wolverhampton last year over the city council's controversial licensing system. This includes when drivers are operating outside of Wolverhampton, where drivers are expected to co-operate with reasonable requests from compliance staff authorised in other areas. Magistrates dismissed Sahrish Rahat Ayub's appeal against Wolverhampton Council's decision to revoke her private hire driver licence. VideoThe secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, LGBT troops take love for Eurovision to front line, Why an Indian comedian is challenging fake news rules. View as HTML. But it added: "We are currently developing a referral mechanism that would inform, in writing, all the relevant safeguarding, policing and licensing authorities in an area when we take action in relation to a driver licensed by us, but operating in their area.". Yours faithfully, The city council added it had been at the forefront of calls for a national database of drivers. We are working with industry leaders, regulators and government to make your voice heard and improve customer service. ( To pay your Parking and Bus Lane Penalty Charge Notices online you will need: your Parking and Bus Lane Penalty Charge Notices reference number your debit or credit card details Account details. Thank you for your request for information that was received on6 November Private hire driver loses licence for overcharging passenger after Customer Engagement Officer The application fee for a New Private Hire Driver licence is 64.00 for a 1 year licence or 120.00 for a 3 year licence and must be paid electronically as part of this application process. 13 Birmingham pubs named after royalty - but are they celebrating the Kings Coronation Weekend? Where new information is found, their licence is reviewed. )})( %- RJ- K@ J(i)i( ( ( Wolverhampton Council has cornered the market, but you have to question whether it is right that a driver can get a licence there but ply their trade hundreds of miles away, he said. Email:licensing@sstaffs.gov.ukTelephone: (01902) 696000, Sign up to receive news and updates from South Staffordshire Council. Mr Ashford welcomed news of the government's proposals for tougher legislation. Wolverhampton licensing bosses have insisted they informed relevant authorities when serious reports of crimes were made, but several councils have told the BBC they were unaware of the allegations. Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. In that year a change in the law allowed private hire drivers to operate in a different area from where they obtained a licence. . Read about our approach to external linking. SocietyWorks Ltd Wolverhampton taxi drivers accused of serious sex crimes Wolverhampton then made it very easy to get licenced there, issued tens of thousands of licences for a population of 260,000 and therefore made the standards of private hire taxis slip in the whole country malcster_75 8 mo. Consumer guides, newsletters, surveys and more! ^hibQE( ZJ(EPEPER ( ( ( ( ( ( (QE( E6) E:hwAKKAIKI@Q@IE QE R(4 J )hi( (i( EP Public safety is paramount and we are constantly working to improve our processes to protect people. This condition empowers officers in other areas and where drivers are breaking the law then other licensing authorities can and do prosecute them. list by name and contact details of private hire vehicle operators licensed to/by Wolverhampton council 2020 to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office. endstream The customer was charged 15 for a trip to Russells Hall Hospital from her home in Dudley, which is typically priced at 7. WhatDoTheyKnow also publishes and archives requests and responses, building a massive archive of information. If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Applicants are also required to disclose any previous licensing history. ( The authority said it dealt with complaints robustly, with all safeguarding issues dealt with within a day "regardless of where the driver is in the country". Well always be on hand with guidance and support to help you get the results youre looking for. ( City of Wolverhampton Council licensed Hackney Carriages and Private Hire . Wolverhampton Council ago "We would like to see a return of standards so that public safety is not put at risk.". ( Magistrates dismissed Sahrish Rahat Ayubs appeal against Wolverhampton Councils decision to revoke her private hire driver licence. Wolverhampton Where there is information on the applicants DBS certificate, this is considered in accordance with the Councils Guidelines. ( Wolverhampton Homes | Complaints and feedback "There have been several consultations about the private hire trade and he appears to be playing catch up. endobj Taxi drivers licensed by a council which is accused of threatening public safety are suspected of serious sexual offences. has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or Please note, if you are not willing to provide a witness statement we may be unable to process your complaint fully. The Local Democracy Reporting Service said that since the change in the law, Wolverhampton had invested heavily in its digital licensing service, reducing processing time and cost. It will see eligible drivers receive a one-off payment of. Please provide number of complaints received by council in relation to uber taxis from 2015-2019, Information request (Q@QH( 5 0 obj Before becoming a driver, there are several requirements that must be met. Established in 2008. which may be legally privileged and/or subject to the provisions of When questioned by council officers, Ayub, of Broadway, in Shirley, Solihull, said the increased cost was a result of coronavirus. )((((QE( ( ( ( ( ( ))h9G4:9 4wE/4 sIJ (