endstream 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.". Raheel Shah, chairman of Wolverhampton Private Hire Drivers' Association and a taxi driver himself, said: "We have been protesting for more than three years over this. (Q@QH((((((((aEP2Sk`(= Taxi complaints. Read about our approach to external linking. endobj WhatDoTheyKnow also publishes and archives requests and responses, building a massive archive of information. A driver working in Southampton when a serious sexual allegation was made against him in October 2017, A Wolverhampton taxi driver accused of being involved in child sexual exploitation on 16 June 2017 in Bolsover, Derbyshire, A serious sexual allegation recorded as taking place in Mansfield, more than 70 miles away, on 3 October 2016, One allegation of CSE made in Shropshire in January 2018 along with two other serious sexual allegations in 2017, In Telford, where authorities have dealt with. Taxi drivers licensed by a council which is accused of threatening public safety are suspected of serious sexual offences. 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. . C " ( Let us know what you think has gone wrong and how you think we can correct it. The applicant is also checked against the National Anti-Fraud Networks (NAFN) National Register of Refusals, Revocations and Suspensions (NR3S). Wolverhampton Council, She then more than doubled the price for the uninsured journey. The report made furthest from the West Midlands city came from a complainant more than 150 miles away. You are now required to show photoID when voting at a polling station at the elections on May 4th. When questioned by council officers, Ayub, of Broadway, in Shirley, Solihull, said the increased cost was a result of coronavirus. Council cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from mySociety We also undertake Compliance Operations throughout the year, including Friday and Saturday nights to ensure safety for visitors to the night-time economy. PQ[PKE))h4 QEIK@QZJ )h@ E-% - RPQE -PEPEPEPEPEPHih( (( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ((JZ@QE QE H9@ %/4sI@ E- QE% QK@ EP0(QE(QE QE %-S ) QE RQFhi)i( (E4hz ?hh 94P JZ(4 i(9(E -'4G4:9CG4 RJ) JB1E RP~( IE(ABQE If not, we will refer your complaint to the manager responsible for the service you're unhappy with. Yours faithfully, The court heard that Ayub frequently carried the passenger without their journeys being pre-booked through a licensed private hire vehicle operator which is illegal and contrary to Section 45 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847. The first is an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which includes a check on the children and vulnerable adults barred list. Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli. Then like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. TheFreedom of Information Act 2000may restrict the release of some or ( We will also advise you if we cannot provide you with the information I understand they may feel like they're being unfairly targeted but you know this is about protecting children and protecting drivers' business reputation.". Governance ZLP J;i Pi(KBR :J((ZJ(RRQE QE Q@ )))hEPEPRI@Rs@)ii(z A site to help anyone submit a Freedom of Information request. SocietyWorks Ltd Read about our approach to external linking. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Magistrates dismissed Sahrish Rahat Ayub's appeal against Wolverhampton Council's decision to revoke her private hire driver licence. <>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 594.96 842.04] /Contents 4 0 R/StructParents 0>> Wolverhampton Council, ( 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. L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council endobj ( It should be noted that there is no provision in legislation to refuse to consider an application from an individual who lives outside of Wolverhampton. Mr Ashford welcomed news of the government's proposals for tougher legislation. NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. endobj The overall figure for last year was up 25 per cent on 2018, and represented an 18-fold increase on the 833 licences the authority handed out in 2015. 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. Read about our approach to external linking. EP Our reference: 1386425, Response all information to be supplied.pdf, 96K 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. Prof Rod Thomson, Shropshire Council's director of public health, said the authority was "concerned that public safety is being threatened and environmental aspirations diluted in cases where drivers and vehicle proprietors 'shop around' to be licensed by local authorities that demand lower standards and then exclusively or predominantly work in an area or areas where standards are higher and licences more difficult to obtain". Finally, the driver must attend our offices in person, where they undergo facial verification against their driving licence and proof of right to work in the UK. Applicants are also required to disclose any previous licensing history. The situation has led to a chaotic picture emerging around the country, with authorities unable to control all cabbies working in their area. <> <>/OutputIntents[<>] /Metadata 371 0 R/ViewerPreferences 372 0 R>> ( %PDF-1.7 Contact details. 2023 BBC. 2023 BBC. endobj The standard of behaviour and level of trust expected should be demonstrated in the conduct of those licensed at all times. u&?JC View as HTML. Our reference: 926105, --------------------------------------------------------------------------. Get started now and lets get this sorted. Wolverhampton has registered about a third of England's taxi drivers and is inundated with applications, according to a report. and a limited company (03277032). the use of this email or attachments. Taxi complaints Wolverhampton City Council. Its quick, easy and totally free. "Since 2015 I know that there have been more complaints over sexual harassment, accidents in taxis and illegal pick-ups, all different things have been going on. privacy legislation. ( Please provide as much information as possible to help our Licensing Compliance team investigate your complaint. Drivers must have held a UK driving licence for at least one year and this licence is checked as part of the application process. City of Wolverhampton Council takes taxi licensing seriously. might not provide that informationto you. "At the moment, some drivers can take advantage of a loophole where they can apply to get a licence in an authority that has less stringent assessments and ply their trade in an area which does. You therefore need a debit or credit card to make the payment.. You must also complete a DBS application (Criminal Records Check) and provide a DVLA three . He backed plans for a government review into licensing, saying it should "bring it up-to-date and to create a regime that is fit for the 21st Century". i90#?WHB CH 7:+ 6YgY]BPU8q-HG-b%+aK`y=DUFB%2)x$T'oSz+! ( <> 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. An enquiry is also made to the DBS to determine whether the information is that the driver has been added to a barred list and is prohibited from working with children and/or vulnerable adults. In the last year, we have covered: These operations are conducted in partnership with officers from the respective licensing authority, as well as the local police force and representatives from the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The request was refused by Wolverhampton City Council. ( It is only after these checks have been satisfied that an applicant can become a licensed driver. Deputy chief reporter at the Express & Star. Whilst people apply to Wolverhampton from all over the country, we conduct compliance operations all over the country. Number of Private hire taxi operators who have breached their operators licence conditions including name of operator and details of breaches from 2017 -2019, Information request Public safety is paramount and we are constantly working to improve our processes to protect people. Less teenagers have meningitis protection since before pandemic, Coronation uproar as Birmingham residents react to allegiance pledge with everyone saying same thing, A new independent pizza restaurant is coming to Harborne & its giving away free pizzas, More than 20,000 Russians dead in Bakhmut, US says, France May Day protests leave dozens of police injured, 'Fighter jets are roaring over my home in Sudan'. Councillor Alan Bolshaw, the citys licensing chief, said: Councillor Bird seems to have come quite late to the party. Resolver can help you send your complaints to Wolverhampton City Council. ( The data was provided in a Freedom of Information request. Current guidelines allow councils to set their own driver standards, including whether to make the checks. ( In one instance, a council officer drove more than 100 miles to a suspect driver's home and "took his licence away from him on his doorstep". It is examining a range of proposals, including making taxi and private hire. Keep all your correspondence in one place, Go straight to the correct contact point within an organisation, Make use of a series of simple templates to help make raising your complaint as simple and quick as possible, Receive reminders when you get a response from a company or organisation, Get an automatic notification when it's appropriate to escalate your case to the next management level within a company, Package up and send off the whole history of your complaint to an ombudsman or other regulatory body if necessary. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Wolverhampton Council currently operates a Get Home Safe campaign which seeks to make sure the public are aware of the differences between hiring hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. The Council uploaded all its historic computer data to this register and all refusals by the Council are added to this register. Concerns have also been raised over passenger safety. Political Editor for the Express & Star. Freedom of Information Act 2000 This condition empowers officers in other areas and where drivers are breaking the law then other licensing authorities can and do prosecute them. ^hE/4 Ph @EPsG4R(99 (iH=iOjJ@/&R % stream ofWolverhampton Council . You may change your settings at any time or accept the default settings. Yours faithfully Private hire drivers have been accused of sex crimes over 150 miles away from where they are licensed, Taxi drivers have held protests around the country over cross-border hiring, Taxi drivers in Wolverhampton say they have been protesting about the issue for years. ( The campaign also highlights the risks involved in taking an unlicensed vehicle and how to identify a legitimate taxi or private hire driver. have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. Any views expressed in this email are those of the individual sender, complaints against drivers, are less likely to occur in an environment . Contact us if you think it should be reopened. (05798215). With Resolver you can send your case to key ombudsmen and regulators including: Resolver is not affiliated to, linked with or otherwise endorsed by Wolverhampton City Council. all of the information you have requested. Established taxi drivers in Wolverhampton have previously protested over what they said was a fall in standards since the Deregulation Act was introduced. (Q@QH( ( We are an entirely independent issue-resolution tool that enables the raising and handling of consumer issues, making complaining simpler for everyone. ( We use the DBS Update Service to check drivers DBS certificates every day of the week. "In terms of my experience working on the front line and from working in some cases, there are some drivers that are predatory. Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. As such, the Council considers those applications and where the applicant is fit and proper, a licence is granted. JFIF ` ` C 9h *99CKE %@ Z ( AQ@E4 Q9j QF J QJ QT ( ZCKE EP RRQE QI@ERQE Q@RSQE!R (RR}iMHJ^hhsG4sG4 sAz(`QK@ ER ( ) QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE( [JQIJ> h J(QK) )?% -J (KI@Q@- QKI@Q@Q@Q@%- QE EPQKI@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@ E-% (()9G4QH99hh hhhJZ J)h( (QE(QE By providing you with all the tools and contact details needed to raise and manage your complaint, we put you firmly in control of your issue. We are working with industry leaders, regulators and government to make your voice heard and improve customer service. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? 2 0 obj 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. In 2018-19 Birmingham Council issued 1,768 private hire licences, down 11 per cent on the previous year. The city has taken on new staff in a bid to cope with demand, documents say. A new report to Walsalls director of public health has outlined concerns over dwindling application numbers. Before April 2015, there. u6`QK@E%E%/z( (Q@RPKE QIKHOQL(QKI@J^h ( When we receive a complaint, if the problem is something we can put right straight away, we will. 4 0 obj This request has been closed to new correspondence. is a registered charity in England and Wales (1076346) endobj Donate and support our work. ago In Wolverhampton they can use older taxis That's the main reason 13 blake-a-mania 8 mo. "But there are some who will use their position of power and authority to take advantage of vulnerable people, particularly as taxi journeys are often one-on-one situations. J)h )(h (%-PHii(cRHR})sG4sE J`(4QH((EPEPEPEPEPEPEPEPEP2Q[)R The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Papers found the situation had emerged since the government in 2015 ruled drivers could register anywhere in the country, not just their local area. ( Complaints . stream L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council . Slower processing times and higher fees elsewhere had encouraged many drivers to choose Wolverhampton. This may only be completed by a General Medical Council (GMC) registered practitioner. We are dealing with yourrequestunder theFreedom of Information Act Meanwhile Walsall Council received just 48 new applications for licences last year, when it had a total of 1,129 private hire drivers registered. 2023 Resolver Consumer Online Limited. the use of this email or attachments. ( Putting things right Complaints process Other options We take passengers safety and wellbeing seriously. please follow the link to Wolverhampton City Council Taxi Licensing. A site to help anyone submit a Freedom of Information request. Email:licensing@sstaffs.gov.ukTelephone: (01902) 696000, Sign up to receive news and updates from South Staffordshire Council. Photo: Wolverhampton Council Drivers gathered outside. list by name and contact details of private hire vehicle operators licensed to/by Wolverhampton council 2020 If the applicant is renewing their licence or has held the same licence within the last 12 months, they must provide an HMRC Tax Check code to show that they registered to pay tax. `!DR P(j _JZm(AI OJ)i(QEZJZ %zQ@-% QI@PIKE %Q@ QKE %Q@Q@IE QE Rw(A((((((((((((EPEPER9(4sKI !PEPIKE %- QE Q@(AEP ( ( ( ( ( J ( QZ((G4 !h % QE @sG4 QKI@4sG=> GKu H( EJ)i(RQ@Q@y KE( ()(C ( 8 0 obj ^hibQE( ZJ(EPEPER ( ( ( ( ( ( (QE( E6) E:hwAKKAIKI@Q@IE QE R(4 J )hi( (i( The Council also considers whether the complaints against the driver necessitate consideration by the Disclosure and Barring Service for the former driver to be added to the children and/or vulnerable adults barred lists. ( We willcarry outan assessment Would you be willing to provide a witness statement? Wolverhampton registers about a third of England's taxi drivers, according to a report. The service has never failed an audit. Any breach of this condition would be looked on most unfavourably: 3.9 A private hire licence is a badge of approval, it states the Local Authority feels the holder is fit and proper and suitable in every way. <> Are you the owner of any commercial copyright on this page? ( @RRQE%0(JZ (QE ( (05798215). His comments follow reports last year that councillors in the West Midlands had criticised The City of Wolverhampton Council for operating a "more lenient" licensing system for private hire. . Under the plans, those with specific previous convictions would face minimum bans "in all but truly exceptional circumstances". NihsG4sG499 99 99 J)y JZ)( (QE (Q@Q@QL(EPE% QKI@-%G4s@ %/4sHhy9 94 ) - QG4 sAE- !()hhJ'zVP(g -%(?i ))QCRPE RQHaEPE%- QI@E)i)hQEQE !BQKE u'49hbm8h! Taxi drivers and council colleagues say farewell to Elaine Moreton (centre) who is retiring at the age of 75 after 39 years' service. In response to your request, please see attached our response to your 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. Wolverhampton City Council, Download a zip file of all correspondence, Children and adults removed by social services due to poor housing conditions, Correspondence between UBER BRITANNIA LIMITED and Wolverhampton City Council. endobj have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. Some drivers may have taken on related work as delivery drivers, the report added. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, Shooting suspect was deported four times - US media, King Charles to wear golden robes for Coronation, More than 100 police hurt in French May Day protests, MasterChef Australia host Jock Zonfrillo dies, Explosion derails train in Russian border region, Street piano confiscated as public 'break rules', Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month, US rock band Aerosmith announce farewell tour, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz mySociety Please note, if you are not willing to provide a witness statement we may be unable to process your complaint fully. The Council is 100% compliant with this KPI. Taxi drivers 'missing out on Covid . ( hh hh hhQ@%- QK@ EPEPPQE QEQE QE QE0 If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error It licences drivers from around the UK including Scotland, Manchester and Nottingham. We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. 30 March 2022. It will see eligible drivers receive a one-off payment of. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. The BBC has been unable to determine whether the drivers accused of offences have faced criminal proceedings. ( (@QE The purpose of the witness statement is to provide written evidence to support a complaint that will, if necessary, be used as evidence in court. The BBC has learned there have been seven allegations of child sexual exploitation (CSE) made, and 16 serious sexual allegations against drivers licensed in Wolverhampton. View our cookie policy here. privacy legislation. If you hold a current Driver or Vehicle Licence with City of Wolverhampton Council, you will need to register with the "My Licence Portal" to inform of arrests, cautions, charges, convictions and Fixed Penalties as part of your conditions of licence. request. We use a state-of-the-art system which uses the same technology as can be found at Border Controls ePassport Gates in UK airports. Printed from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/taxi_complaints_4?unfold=1 on May 02, 2023 00:03. ( This website uses cookies to enable essential site functionality, as well as marketing, personalised ads, and analytics. Subscribe to one or all notification sources from this one place. However, the authoritys dominance of the market has not gone down well with other councils, some of which have seen their own private hire applications plummet. In the last financial year, the city registered an extra 7,428 drivers, taking the total with a Wolverhampton licence to 26,745. Want to help others get their issues sorted fast or see the latest updates about how Resolver can help you? Is climate change killing Australian wine? The guidelines have been benchmarked against the Institute of Licensings Guidance and the Governments Statutory Standards and in both documents cases, the Councils rehabilitation periods are longer. The council report also stated its licensing team prioritised drivers in its own area and had taken on 20 extra staff in the last year to deal with the volume of applications, with plans to appoint more. In that year a change in the law allowed private hire drivers to operate in a different area from where they obtained a licence. 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. Download The vehicle proprietor must be registered with the Information Commissioner's Download WhatDoTheyKnow also publishes and archives requests and responses, building a massive archive of information. ( ( 2019. 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". Any views expressed in this email are those of the individual sender, The Council has never refused a request from a licensing authority for a compliance operation in their area. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Printed from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/taxi_complaints_5 on May 02, 2023 00:03. City of Wolverhampton Council licensed Hackney Carriages and Private Hire . )(((h(QE Enquiries are made with those authorities and any previous complaints considered with the Councils Guidelines. ( )i( ( 4G (QA!EPEPEPES ) QE QE (h-! (%P P0PH(h@ vZ( (( ago Thank you for your request for information that was received on6 November
Mark Ferris Made In Chelsea,
Webster Times Obituaries,
Box Plot Mean And Standard Deviation,
Frank Salerno Detective Date Of Birth,
Articles W
