Taxi Driver Online

Revealed: How 261 of the city's taxi drivers have broken the law

MORE than 250 taxi drivers registered to work with Derby City Council have convictions.

But passengers have been assured that checking processes mean they will be safe in registered vehicles.

Figures obtained by the Derby Telegraph under the Freedom of Information Act show there are 407 hackney-carriage drivers and 869 private-hire drivers in Derby.

Of those, 91 hackney-carriage drivers and 170 private-hire drivers have been convicted of an offence.

Derby City Council said it could not give a breakdown of the types of crimes.


But Mario Colello, who has been a taxi driver for 27 years, urged people not to worry about getting into taxis.

He said: "The systems the council has in place are robust enough to weed out applicants who might be a danger to members of the public or who are not classed as a fit and proper person.

"I know someone who was refused a licence for committing a minor offence of being drunk and disorderly.

"If anyone has concerns about a driver, they should take the number of the cab or the driver's badge number and ring the council."

Hackney carriage driver Fazal Ashram said: "I am sure if anyone had committed an offence of serious crime, they would be refused a licence."

A council spokeswoman said the authority's licensing committee followed guidelines when deciding on whether to grant a licence to someone.

According to the guidelines, an applicant with a conviction for drug offences should be free of convictions for at least three years before an application is granted, or five years after detoxification treatment if they were an addict.

The guidelines say applicants with convictions for indecent exposure, indecent assault or any of the more serious sexual offences, should be normally refused.

If an applicant can show a period of at least five years free of such offences, then the committee should consider the application on its merits.

The guidelines say a "firm line" should be taken with applicants who have convictions for grievous bodily harm, wounding or assault. They advise at least three years free of such convictions.

Traffic offences in the past three years, if the total number of penalty points exceeds six, and traffic offences in the past 10 years which resulted in disqualification are referred to the committee.

The guidelines say: "The over-riding consideration shall always be the safety and protection of passengers."

No-one from the Derby Area Taxi Operators' Association was available for comment.

source: http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/news/

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Why not?

I would be very interested to see how the council got all this info, as they shouldn't have it.

Yes they are entitled to see the CRB when it comes back, but once an assessment is made on the fitness of the new applicant or renawal, then the CRB form must be destroyed.

So how do they collate all this info legally?

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IDFIMH

The information is not just on the CRB form. We have to sign and pay for a DVLA check as well and this is where the information will be. The council may have to destroy the CRB check but is there anything in law that stops them from noting down any details?

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Grandad,

What reason would they need to keep the info?

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IDFIMH

So that they have it to hand when someone makes a freedom of information request.

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Grandad,

Do the figures include traffic offences,it's not clear is it?
I do know of drivers who have been jailed for violence that have got their badges back.I personally wouldn't let anyone who had any kind of conviction for a sexual offence near a taxi licence.
Derby City Council have been known to suspend drivers who reach 9 penalty points on their licences.Is this legal or widespread?
Regards
Steve

He has more faith in the system than me and of course there is the differing opinions of what is considered a serious crime

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

IMO suspensions for drivers, for offences not including a sexual or violent element, are illegal.

Let's hope one day the higher courts get to hear a case and agree with me.

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IDFIMH

I agree, but suspensions for 9 points on a driver licence should be easily overturned in a Magistrates Court.

If they were / are overturned, I don't know if the council would be liable for the court costs, so it could be costly for the driver, for no good reason except that the council say so.

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

If the driver no-longer has an income he should get legal aid, unless Mrs Driver earns bundles.

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IDFIMH

15 points have been overturned before and a driver given his badge back.