Don't really know much about DBS checks, so I've nothing to say about this (for a change...), but just wondering what happened to the stuff about the huge (and lopsided) council logo on the HCs, and the purple bonnets?
Council approves ‘radical change’ to background checks on taxi drivershttps://www.maidenhead-advertiser.co.uk ... ivers.htmlThe council has approved a ‘radical change’ to implement six-monthly criminal background checks on taxi drivers.At a licensing meeting on Tuesday, councillors voted in favour of all licensed hackney carriage and private hire drivers having their DBS checked for new information every six months.
The incurred charges will be covered by individual drivers and penalty points will also be introduced for non-compliance.
A public consultation over the proposed DBS changes showed that 81.9 per cent of respondents agreed with the new six-monthly checks, and a third-party ‘DBS Update Service Status Checks’ facility is the preferred option.
However, taxi drivers’ representative Mr Jaffri told the panel that the 68 per cent of people who said Hackney carriage drivers should bear the costs were ‘highly’ misled by the question.
He suggested that if the cost to the driver was mentioned, it would have been ‘overturned’ and said switching from a three-year to a six-month DBS check is ‘too radical a change for us to bear’.
Mr Jaffri added: “At the last licensing meeting, we were under the impression that this would be cheaper than doing the current three-year DBS check.
“The payment is too much. A lot of drivers are struggling, and it is hard to make a living.
“We have been advocating in the past to lessen the burden on taxi drivers. When is the council going to do something for the drivers?
“Why is that whatever the licensing council introduces, the drivers are always made to pay, like delivery of a new car, safeguarding and so on?
He suggested the council should foot the bill to ‘ensure how seriously they are willing to help drivers’.
The DBS costs would be an initial £59 fee to sign up for the online service, £13 per year for the DBS Update Service, and £7.20 per year for the ‘DBS Update Service Status Checks’ facility.
The £7.20 would be waived for the first year and recharged to the borough.
The council would recover this cost by increasing the hackney carriage and private hire drivers’ licence charges in April next year.
Drivers will pay £72 in the first year of the scheme and £20.20 in all subsequent years.
Trading standards and licensing manager Greg Nelson said it would take time for drivers to get used to the new system and some leeway would be given for innocent non-compliance.
However, it was proposed that penalty points be introduced for drivers who did not comply after advice and assistance were given.
If 12 points are accumulated in a year, a decision would be made on whether the driver is still fit to hold a licence.
Councillor Jack Douglas (Lib Dem, St Mary’s) said the hackney carriage badge was a symbol of trust and Councillor John Story (Con, Ascot and Sunninghill) added that the six-monthly DBS checks were ‘incredibly important’ for vulnerable residents and taxi users.
RBWM mayor Councillor Neil Knowles (OWRA, Old Windsor) said he supported the recommendation as it made things easier for officers and drivers, and was cheaper for drivers in the long run.
He proposed the recommendation put forward by officers which was seconded by Councillor K Singh and the council voted by majority in favour.