The standard of behaviour and level of trust expected should be demonstrated in the conduct of those licensed at all times. ( Wolverhampton registers about a third of England's taxi drivers, according to a report. A total of 170 taxis were inspected by our dedicated Roads Policing Unit, in line with COVID and road safety regulations. 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 Responsible for local and national political stories, opinion, comment and analysis. ( (@QE The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. )(((h(QE the author immediately by replying to this email. 2019. Wolverhampton Council handed out a record 15,000 private hire licences last year raking in nearly 3.7 million in fees. If not, we will refer your complaint to the manager responsible for the service you're unhappy with. Reports of child sexual exploitation are among allegations made against drivers licensed in Wolverhampton, but who also operate across England. Please provide number of complaints received by council in relation to uber taxis from 2015-2019, Information request Yours faithfully Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Read about our approach to external linking. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day's top stories sent directly to you. <> Just raise a case and leave feedback after. 7 0 obj Use Resolver to make a complaint. endobj Change of Address. NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. The report noted there had been a decline in the number of private hire drivers nationally since 2020, possibly, it said, because drivers had left the industry after seeing a loss of trade during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is only after these checks have been satisfied that an applicant can become a licensed driver. Wolverhampton Council, ( the use of this email or attachments. (ZNh ( (((((((((( (EPEPI-Nh9G4sG4 sG4sG4 S{4 The situation has led to a chaotic picture emerging around the country, with authorities unable to control all cabbies working in their area. Wolverhampton Council has always defended its position, stating that it oversees enforcement operations all over the country, and that any profits it makes from licensing are ploughed back into the scheme. (/65hQJ1AE% RR)(JZ(AIE R ZC@RPKE% QK@ E- QE QE QK@ EPEPEPIKE %Q@ EPzQE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QI@E% QKE 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". Council's taxi licensing change aims to save money. 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 . Complaints about taxi drivers. The Council has never refused a request from a licensing authority for a compliance operation in their area. ( You are now required to show photoID when voting at a polling station at the elections on May 4th. Before becoming a driver, there are several requirements that must be met. ( Customer Engagement Officer Wolverhampton Council, We willcarry outan assessment Putting things right Complaints process Other options JZ(99(J ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ((EPEPER(96 Wolverhampton Council hands out 15,000 taxi licences in one year to drivers across UK By Peter Madeley Wolverhampton Transport Published: Jan 10, 2020 Comments Wolverhampton Council. (E 4.h i)h(@ E QF( jZ;PEhRCRhZ%4 Established in 2008. C " The Council's main objective regarding taxi and private hire licensing are: If you are looking for further information about the requirements, please follow the link toWolverhampton City Council Taxi Licensing. A Wolverhampton private hire driver who overcharged a customer, while taking her on an uninsured journey that wasn't pre-booked, has had her licence revoked. Resolver can help you send your complaints to Wolverhampton City Council. Applications from Kilmarnock, Edinburgh, Perth and Kirkcaldy were received by Wolverhampton Council last year, as the authority granted 15,171 licences to extend its dominance over the British private hire market. CCTV may also be fitted to cars, with an encrypted system so footage could only be accessed if a crime was reported. The vehicle proprietor must be registered with the Information Commissioner's endobj Download Printed from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/taxi_complaints_5 on May 02, 2023 00:03. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Please provide as much information as possible to help our Licensing Compliance team investigate your complaint. This training is only available in English and covers the following: This syllabus is regularly reviewed, including with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and Partnership Strategic Exploitation Co-ordinator. ( Every council in England would be told to carry out checks on all applicants. I understand they may feel like they're being unfairly targeted but you know this is about protecting children and protecting drivers' business reputation.". Further information about the vehicles and drivers licensed for South Staffordshire are available on ourInformation for Passengers page. have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. Resolver is a completely free complaint-resolution tool that puts the British consumer directly in touch with the customer service providers who can resolve their complaint. JFIF ` ` C ( and a limited company (03277032). } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. View our cookie policy here. These guidelines have been consulted on with the industry, police, courts and all other councils. DearL Thompson City of Wolverhampton Council said it prioritised local taxi driver applications. requested for any other reason together with the reason(s) why and details endstream This policy relates to surveillance cameras, also. is a registered charity in England and Wales (1076346) However, there remains no official system of ensuring all authorities are aware of suspected criminal activity, although the council "refutes any accusation" of failing to pass on details. @RRQE%0(JZ (QE ( 2023 BBC. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. endobj ( Governance ^hE/4 Ph @EPsG4R(99 (iH=iOjJ@/&R % As such, the Council considers those applications and where the applicant is fit and proper, a licence is granted. ( J((h 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. 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'. Printed from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/taxi_complaints_4?unfold=1 on May 02, 2023 00:03. Concerns have also been raised over passenger safety. Resolver is a completely free complaint-resolution tool that puts the British consumer directly in touch with the customer service providers who can resolve their complaint. This email contains proprietary confidential information some or all of ago 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. DearL Thompson and a limited company (03277032). %PDF-1.7 ( None of the councils for the areas where offences were alleged could confirm whether they had been made aware of the suspect driver operating in their area. J)h )(h (%-PHii(cRHR})sG4sE J`(4QH((EPEPEPEPEPEPEPEPEP2Q[)R The Council uploaded all its historic computer data to this register and all refusals by the Council are added to this register. L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council ( 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. n)=_} bRqHCD@[WP,=|B2Ho|Sc$+! This request has been closed to new correspondence. "We would like to see a return of standards so that public safety is not put at risk.". ( On April 29, 2020, council officers received a complaint that Ayub, aged 25, had picked up a passenger who had not pre-booked, which is a requirement of both her private hire licence and car insurance policy. ( You can be certain that youre talking to the right person at the right time. It prompted licensing bosses at Wolverhampton Council to streamline its application process and slash the prices of licences leading to a dramatic increase in applications. Donate and support our work. The vehicle is then checked in person by our trained vehicle inspectors. 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. At the end of the training programme, there is a written assessment. 2023 Resolver Consumer Online Limited. . We will inform youif this is If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error In the last five years the city council has received applications from 325 miles away in Perth a six-hour drive from the city, and 254 miles away in Truro, Cornwall, which takes almost five hours to get to by car. This may only be completed by a General Medical Council (GMC) registered practitioner. ( (Q@%- QI@EP'4s@. Where new information is found, their licence is reviewed. In 2018-19 Birmingham Council issued 1,768 private hire licences, down 11 per cent on the previous year. If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error Deputy chief reporter at the Express & Star. Over the same period Wolverhampton Council had 1,018 applications from private hire drivers based in Walsall. Taxi and Private Hire licensing within South Staffordshire is administrated on behalf of the Council by the City of Wolverhampton Council's Licensing team from April 2022. Council cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office. [1][Wolverhampton City Council request email] A site to help anyone submit a Freedom of Information request. <> Current guidelines allow councils to set their own driver standards, including whether to make the checks. services through our wholly owned subsidiary Papers found the situation had emerged since the government in 2015 ruled drivers could register anywhere in the country, not just their local area. has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or Then like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. ( ( If you need to make a complaint about a driver or a vehicle, please visit thecomplaints page. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or 13 Birmingham pubs named after royalty - but are they celebrating the Kings Coronation Weekend? 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. Police were informed in all cases, it said. In some case, a fee may be payable. % The BBC has been unable to determine whether the drivers accused of offences have faced criminal proceedings. The report made furthest from the West Midlands city came from a complainant more than 150 miles away. City of Wolverhampton Council takes taxi licensing seriously. 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. We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. disseminate the information contained within this e-mail. This email contains proprietary confidential information some or all of Yours faithfully, Ebrahim Suleman, former chairman of West Midlands Private Hire Drivers Association, said "99.9% of drivers" were honest and hard working but a minority used loopholes to get a licence. request. 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. ( Public safety is paramount and we are constantly working to improve our processes to protect people. except where the sender specifically states these to be the views Taxi complaints. Get started now and lets get this sorted. (Q@QH((((((((aEP2Sk`(= 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. When we receive a complaint, if the problem is something we can put right straight away, we will. ( We use the DBS Update Service to check drivers DBS certificates every day of the week. Please note, if you are not willing to provide a witness statement we may be unable to process your complaint fully. If their licence is revoked, this decision is recorded on NR3S, in case the driver tries to apply for a licence at another authority. <> Mr Ashford welcomed news of the government's proposals for tougher legislation. ( Wolverhampton City Council Taxi Licensing. Write to our Complaints Manager, City of Wolverhampton Council, Civic Centre, St Peter's Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1RL Ask a friend, a relative, advocate or anyone to contact us your behalf Make sure you give us as much information as possible. In Birmingham, where there have been four serious sexual allegations against drivers licensed in Wolverhampton, the council said it was concerned the Deregulation Act had "resulted in a situation where there are many vehicles and drivers in the city over whom the council has no enforcement powers". ( hh hh hhQ@%- QK@ EPEPPQE QEQE QE QE0 However, if you'd rather complain directly, you can use the above address to contact Wolverhampton City Council. ( 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. 1. mailto:[Wolverhampton City Council request email], 92K The driver can only undertake work in a vehicle licensed by City of Wolverhampton Council. . The authoritys total income from private hire and Hackney Carriage licensing was 157,482. Where there are concerns about applicants suspected of involvement in historic child sex exploitation investigations, further vetting is undertaken by the National Crime Agency (NCA). Drivers must have held a UK driving licence for at least one year and this licence is checked as part of the application process. Let us know what you think has gone wrong and how you think we can correct it. 4 0 obj City of Wolverhampton Council has increased the number of licences it issues eightfold since the Deregulation Act 2015 was introduced, meaning drivers no longer needed to live or work in the area of the local authority that granted them a licence. SocietyWorks Ltd <> Donate and support our work. Members of the council's regulatory committee are set to discuss the matter on Wednesday. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Wolverhampton EP )})( %- RJ- K@ J(i)i( ( Established in 2008. WhatDoTheyKnow also publishes and archives requests and responses, building a massive archive of information. i90#?WHB CH 7:+ 6YgY]BPU8q-HG-b%+aK`y=DUFB%2)x$T'oSz+! Council cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from "What is really important is that we make sure we bring the taxi drivers in on this. 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). ZLP J;i Pi(KBR :J((ZJ(RRQE QE Q@ )))hEPEPRI@Rs@)ii(z NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. Governance ( ( City of Wolverhampton Council Private Hire & Hackney Carriage Complaint Procedure Please provide your details so we can keep you informed on the outcome of the complaint you wish to raise.. xUMo0#HMH,mQ-Uki66>X{o<3n|uYK6+m When questioned by council officers, Ayub, of Broadway, in Shirley, Solihull, said the increased cost was a result of coronavirus. It has granted 35,035 private hire licences since 2017, pumping 8.7m into the authoritys coffers. "The first thing to say is that the majority of taxi drivers out there are working hard to make a living and are trained to actually help vulnerable people," said Phil Ashford, from the National Working Group (NWG) for tackling child sexual exploitation. 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. City of Wolverhampton Council licensed Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles are referred to collectively as 'taxis' in this policy. J^h'K~s@sIMJZJ)( endobj It is a criminal offence for people on barred lists to apply to work in a regulated activity and offenders are reported to the police. Taxi drivers 'missing out on Covid . SocietyWorks Ltd ( Yours faithfully City of Wolverhampton Council takes taxi licensing seriously. 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.". Resolver is a totally free service that you can use to complain effectively. Thank you for your request for information that was received on6 November of how you may appeal (if appropriate). Dear Wolverhampton City Council, Number of Private hire taxi operators who have breached their operators licence conditions including name of operator and details of breaches from 2017 -2019 . It's quick, easy and (best of all) it's free. ago In Wolverhampton they can use older taxis That's the main reason 13 blake-a-mania 8 mo. Six of the drivers in the CSE reports had their licences taken from them but the seventh complaint was not upheld. proceeding with your request. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. All rights reserved. privacy legislation. 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. Download Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk, Council's taxi licensing change aims to save money, Taxi drivers 'missing out on Covid payments', Generations of Wolves speedway fans turn out in force to the first meeting since bombshell stadium news, Stourbridge shoppers 'intimidated by aggressive begging' in town centre. Taxi and cab drivers have staged go-slow protests against the current regulations around the country, saying they leave the public at risk. We provide commercial Contact us if you think it should be reopened. "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. u&?JC Has the incident been reported to the police. But only a small fraction of the new licence holders are operating in the city, with some drivers working hundreds of miles away in Scotland. `!DR Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Z( sEPEaZ5 )VJZHiZ)Qj4 va@b endobj Where there are motoring convictions, these are also considered against the Councils guidelines. 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. (05798215). 30 March 2022. services through our wholly owned subsidiary The applicant is also checked against the National Anti-Fraud Networks (NAFN) National Register of Refusals, Revocations and Suspensions (NR3S). Wolverhampton On April 29, 2020, council officers received a. Where complaints are made, the Council has a key performance indicator (KPI) for all complaints involving safeguarding concerns to be investigated within one day. The delegation was agreed by the district authority's cabinet on. It licences drivers from around the UK including Scotland, Manchester and Nottingham. all of the information you have requested. "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. Freedom of Information Act 2000 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. 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. Simple! TheFreedom of Information Act 2000may restrict the release of some or The customer had been provided with a business card containing Ayubs personal phone number and she told him she had set up her own business. might not provide that informationto you. This email has been scanned for all viruses and all reasonable precautions The licensing authority has been made aware of complaints against drivers via police, other councils and by passengers themselves. In Wolverhampton itself, there were four allegations of CSE and four serious sexual allegations. NihsG4sG499 99 99 J)y JZ)( (QE Best and worst companies at resolving issues. WhatDoTheyKnow also publishes and archives requests and responses, building a massive archive of information. list by name and contact details of private hire vehicle operators licensed to/by Wolverhampton council 2020 The data was provided in a Freedom of Information request. ( Taxi and Private Hire licensing within South Staffordshire is administrated on behalf of the Council by the City of Wolverhampton Council's Licensing team from April 2022. . Drivers must attend a one-day driver training programme, provided independently by Worcestershire County Council. Importantly, our driver conditions dictate that drivers must cooperate with reasonable requests from compliance staff authorised in other areas. ( ( View as HTML. Slower processing times and higher fees elsewhere had encouraged many drivers to choose Wolverhampton. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. ofWolverhampton Council . Dear Wolverhampton City Council, Please provide number of complaints received by council in relation to uber taxis from 2015-2019 . (h-! (%P P0PH(h@ vZ( (( Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? endobj Before becoming a driver,. 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. please follow the link to Wolverhampton City Council Taxi Licensing. ( We provide commercial 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. 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. We are an entirely independent issue-resolution tool that enables the raising and handling of consumer issues, making complaining simpler for everyone. [1][Wolverhampton City Council request email] The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. We need to support the private hire trade in the city and not turn ourselves into a taxi version of Gretna Green. send you a fee notice and we will require you to pay the fee before ( 2023 BBC. Please notify A total of 927 drivers were said to be waiting for a hearing to determine their application. the case and advise you of your rights to request an internal review and "In terms of my experience working on the front line and from working in some cases, there are some drivers that are predatory. stream We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. It currently has 4,461 drivers licensed. The city council added it had been at the forefront of calls for a national database of drivers. In that year a change in the law allowed private hire drivers to operate in a different area from where they obtained a licence. 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. 9 0 obj 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. 2019aboutTaxi complaints The Councils Guidelines are regularly reviewed and as of November 2022 are currently under review pending the anticipated publication of Government Best Practice Guidance. 'Downloads' section of the Council's Taxi Licences webpage). We take passengers safety and wellbeing seriously. Under the plans, those with specific previous convictions would face minimum bans "in all but truly exceptional circumstances". Wolverhampton Council <> Resolver is free. endobj To apply/renew your driver or vehicle licence follow the links below. 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 They will investigate your complaint and respond to you direct. DBS checks are also carried out on vehicle licence applicants, as well as a check that the vehicle is insured for public and/or private hire. Taxi drivers licensed by a council which is accused of threatening public safety are suspected of serious sexual offences. 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. Public safety is paramount and we are constantly working to improve our processes to protect people. 6 0 obj 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. 2. Want to help others get their issues sorted fast or see the latest updates about how Resolver can help you? Wolverhampton has registered about a third of England's taxi drivers and is inundated with applications, according to a report. ofWolverhampton Council . Taxi complaints Wolverhampton City Council. Summary of CCTV Requirements 1. ( <> Dear Wolverhampton City Council, Please could you provide a list by (name / address / contact details /) . UIE( E-#RQE fQGARPE(EZ())ZNhPKE z 5/4> !P EPER ( ) QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QEQE QIP% ((jGIKGz )(J(( _Z)(Z()h)h (((((( ( LEPEPEPEPEPEPEPEPEPEPE RE Contact us if you think it should be reopened. Fears have been raised drivers are "shopping around" to find the easiest way to obtain a licence. Please check with your phone provider if you are unsure about how much a call will cost. Across the weekend (Friday 18 December and Saturday 19 December), 27 taxi drivers were issued with enforcement action, including defect notices or suspension of licenses. 2 0 obj In the last financial year, the city registered an extra 7,428 drivers, taking the total with a Wolverhampton licence to 26,745. The service also undergoes audit each year. L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council ( Read about our approach to external linking. ( ( )((((QE( ( ( ( ( ( ))h9G4:9 4wE/4 sIJ ( 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.
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