Wolverhampton has registered about a third of England's taxi drivers and is inundated with applications, according to a report. Over the same period Wolverhampton Council had 1,018 applications from private hire drivers based in Walsall. A Freedom of Information request found Wolverhampton Council had handed out 15,000 private hire licences in 2019, bringing in nearly 3.7m in fees. All rights reserved. The service has never failed an audit. Z( sEPEaZ5 )VJZHiZ)Qj4 va@b ( ( Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli. If you need to make a complaint about a driver or a vehicle, please visit thecomplaints page. Use Resolver to make a complaint. Taxi and cab drivers have staged go-slow protests against the current regulations around the country, saying they leave the public at risk. Members of the council's regulatory committee are set to discuss the matter on Wednesday. Taxi complaints - a Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton Please provide number of complaints received by council in relation to uber taxis from 2015-2019, Information request <> privacy legislation. Further information about the vehicles and drivers licensed for South Staffordshire are available on ourInformation for Passengers page. 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. This email contains proprietary confidential information some or all of Where there is information on the applicants DBS certificate, this is considered in accordance with the Councils Guidelines. Well always be on hand with guidance and support to help you get the results youre looking for. ofWolverhampton Council . and if anyexemptionsapplyto some or all ofthe information then we Taxi drivers licensed by a council which is accused of threatening public safety are suspected of serious sexual offences. The licensing authority has been made aware of complaints against drivers via police, other councils and by passengers themselves. Please provide as much information as possible to help our Licensing Compliance team investigate your complaint. 13 Birmingham pubs named after royalty - but are they celebrating the Kings Coronation Weekend? ( . In the last financial year, the city registered an extra 7,428 drivers, taking the total with a Wolverhampton licence to 26,745. NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. Summary of CCTV Requirements 1. ( Slower processing times and higher fees elsewhere had encouraged many drivers to choose Wolverhampton. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. ( 3 0 obj 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 Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Any views expressed in this email are those of the individual sender, ^hE/4 Ph @EPsG4R(99 (iH=iOjJ@/&R % 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. 7 0 obj ( ( We provide commercial Download is a registered charity in England and Wales (1076346) <> If you have a complaint about a driver, vehicle proprietor or operator, you can provide information at Taxi Complaints or call our dedicated complaints line 01902 55 TAXI. The report made furthest from the West Midlands city came from a complainant more than 150 miles away. View as HTML. 4 0 obj 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. ( hh hh hhQ@%- QK@ EPEPPQE QEQE QE QE0 Before becoming a driver, there are several requirements that must be met. } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br Lib Dem campaigner Ian Jenkins, said: The council has turned a vital safety check into a cash cow. Some drivers may have taken on related work as delivery drivers, the report added. This includes when drivers are operating outside of Wolverhampton, where drivers are expected to co-operate with reasonable requests from compliance staff authorised in other areas. Photo: Wolverhampton Council Drivers gathered outside. Theres no jargon in our rights guides. Councillor Alan Bolshaw, the citys licensing chief, said: Councillor Bird seems to have come quite late to the party. Wolverhampton Council, NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Simple! services through our wholly owned subsidiary Governance (PE QE Q@ EPEPEPEPQGE Q J( Taxi drivers and council staff say a fond farewell to the 'queen of Navdeep Nijjar If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error uKIJ( (C %Z %( _(4 PR@%PK ( This week, the government said it was tightening taxi safety guidelines and considering stopping drivers from operating hundreds of miles away from where they were licensed. i90#?WHB CH 7:+ 6YgY]BPU8q-HG-b%+aK`y=DUFB%2)x$T'oSz+! ( ( In that year a change in the law allowed private hire drivers to operate in a different area from where they obtained a licence. Meanwhile Walsall Council received just 48 new applications for licences last year, when it had a total of 1,129 private hire drivers registered. Where there are motoring convictions, these are also considered against the Councils guidelines. ( Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? The data was provided in a Freedom of Information request. 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. (Q@(((ER ( (( );R QG4s@4Q4 3G4PRSi PE%EPG4Q ( all of the information you have requested. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. 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 use the DBS Update Service to check drivers DBS certificates every day of the week. Before April 2015, there. (Q@QH( 2019aboutTaxi complaints It currently has 4,461 drivers licensed. (/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 The request was refused by Wolverhampton City Council. (Q@Q@QL(EPE% QKI@-%G4s@ %/4sHhy9 94 ) - QG4 sAE- !()hhJ'zVP(g -%(?i ))QCRPE RQHaEPE%- QI@E)i)hQEQE !BQKE u'49hbm8h! Placing members of the public at unnecessary risk by taking a booking without valid insurance is unacceptable.. send you a fee notice and we will require you to pay the fee before ( Wolverhampton City Council Complaints Email & Phone | Resolver UK 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. Taxi complaints Wolverhampton City Council. 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. ( of how you may appeal (if appropriate). Every council in England would be told to carry out checks on all applicants. Wolverhampton Council hands out 15,000 taxi licences in one year to Why are a lot of Wolverhampton council taxis appearing in - Reddit If we decide a fee is payable, we will (h-! (%P P0PH(h@ vZ( (( "In terms of my experience working on the front line and from working in some cases, there are some drivers that are predatory. 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. List of Private Hire Operators - WhatDoTheyKnow Magistrates dismissed Sahrish Rahat Ayub's appeal against Wolverhampton Council's decision to revoke her private hire driver licence. Where new information is found, their licence is reviewed. You are now required to show photoID when voting at a polling station at the elections on May 4th. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day's top stories sent directly to you. 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. 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. 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. We take passengers safety and wellbeing seriously. City of Wolverhampton Council Taxi Licensing Safeguarding Statement Drivers must undergo medical certification to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) Group 2 Standards. except where the sender specifically states these to be the views We are an entirely independent issue-resolution tool that enables the raising and handling of consumer issues, making complaining simpler for everyone. The applicant is also checked against the National Anti-Fraud Networks (NAFN) National Register of Refusals, Revocations and Suspensions (NR3S). Complaints . ( Deputy chief reporter at the Express & Star. WhatDoTheyKnow also publishes and archives requests and responses, building a massive archive of information. ( 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. xUMo0#HMH,mQ-Uki66>X{o<3n|uYK6+m A total of 927 drivers were said to be waiting for a hearing to determine their application. Governance Concerns have also been raised over passenger safety. Council cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from Taxi drivers and council colleagues say farewell to Elaine Moreton (centre) who is retiring at the age of 75 after 39 years' service. Taxi complaints. It's quick, easy and (best of all) it's free. endobj C " 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. Read about our approach to external linking. It has granted 35,035 private hire licences since 2017, pumping 8.7m into the authoritys coffers. Wolverhampton council said it stripped licences from suspects immediately. Your donations keep this site and others like it running. You can be certain that youre talking to the right person at the right time. u&?JC In Wolverhampton itself, there were four allegations of CSE and four serious sexual allegations. Established taxi drivers in Wolverhampton have previously protested over what they said was a fall in standards since the Deregulation Act was introduced. Contact us if you think it should be reopened. This email has been scanned for all viruses and all reasonable precautions ( 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. On April 29, 2020, council officers received a. We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. 1. mailto:[Wolverhampton City Council request email], 92K They will investigate your complaint and respond to you direct. The situation has led to a chaotic picture emerging around the country, with authorities unable to control all cabbies working in their area. Weve helped millions of people find a resolution. 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. u6`QK@E%E%/z( (Q@RPKE QIKHOQL(QKI@J^h Customer Engagement Officer 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". The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Where complaints are made, the Council has a key performance indicator (KPI) for all complaints involving safeguarding concerns to be investigated within one day. Pay Customer Self-Service - Wolverhampton 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. Has the incident been reported to the police. Our reference: 1386425, Response all information to be supplied.pdf, 96K We will also advise you if we cannot provide you with the information Resolve your Wolverhampton City Council Complaints for free | Resolver UK Wolverhampton registers about a third of England's taxi drivers, according to a report. The driver can only undertake work in a vehicle licensed by City of Wolverhampton Council. ( Before becoming a driver,. View our cookie policy here. 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 City of Wolverhampton Council said it prioritised local taxi driver applications. complaints against drivers, are less likely to occur in an environment . The Council has never refused a request from a licensing authority for a compliance operation in their area. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Complaints about taxi drivers. ( ago ( Drivers must attend a one-day driver training programme, provided independently by Worcestershire County Council. This request has been closed to new correspondence. The delegation was agreed by the district authority's cabinet on. 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. ( View as HTML. Current guidelines allow councils to set their own driver standards, including whether to make the checks. ^PER`QE The BBC has been unable to determine whether the drivers accused of offences have faced criminal proceedings. If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error Download 13 Birmingham pubs named after royalty - but are they celebrating the Kings Coronation Weekend? ( It is examining a range of proposals, including making taxi and private hire. Then like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. 8 0 obj The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The topic of taxi safety comes after the case of "black cab rapist" John Worboys, who police believe may have carried out more than 100 rapes and sexual assaults on women he picked up in London between 2002 and 2008. South Staffordshire Council is handing over taxi and private hire licensing functions to Wolverhampton Council (CWC). has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or (QA!EPEPEPES ) QE QE Taxi drivers licensed by a council which is accused of threatening public safety are suspected of serious sexual offences. ( (@QE Taxi drivers 'missing out on Covid . %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz Taxi & Private Hire Vehicle Licensing - South Staffordshire EP The customer was charged 15 for a trip to Russells Hall Hospital from her home in Dudley, which is typically priced at 7. 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. DearL Thompson City of Wolverhampton Council licensed Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles are referred to collectively as 'taxis' in this policy. endobj 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. We automatically connect you to contacts at thousands of household names, ombudsmen and regulators to find a resolution. 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. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day's top stories sent directly to you. JZ(99(J ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ((EPEPER(96 NihsG4sG499 99 99 J)y JZ)( (QE <> Resolver can help you send your complaints to Wolverhampton City Council. It licences drivers from around the UK including Scotland, Manchester and Nottingham. "There have been several consultations about the private hire trade and he appears to be playing catch up. This email contains proprietary confidential information some or all of Wolverhampton Council handed out a record 15,000 private hire licences last year raking in nearly 3.7 million in fees. Predators can use relaxed rules to become taxi drivers and gain access to vulnerable passengers, a victim's charity said. Get started now and lets get this sorted. <> 2 0 obj ( . Six of the drivers in the CSE reports had their licences taken from them but the seventh complaint was not upheld. At the end of the training programme, there is a written assessment. Enquiries are made with those authorities and any previous complaints considered with the Councils Guidelines. proceeding with your request. 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. Dear Wolverhampton City Council, Please could you provide a list by (name / address / contact details /) . n)=_} bRqHCD@[WP,=|B2Ho|Sc$+! Importantly, our driver conditions dictate that drivers must cooperate with reasonable requests from compliance staff authorised in other areas. 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. might not provide that informationto you. please follow the link to Wolverhampton City Council Taxi Licensing. Video, The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure, the government said it was tightening taxi safety guidelines, increased the number of licences it issues, sign up for local news updates direct to your phone, 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, Disney faces countersuit in feud with Florida, US rock band Aerosmith announce farewell tour, NFL player's daughter, aged two, drowns in pool, Street piano confiscated as public 'break rules', Yellen warns US could run out of cash in a month. 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. )i( ( 4G JFIF ` ` C These guidelines have been consulted on with the industry, police, courts and all other councils. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. City of Wolverhampton Council takes taxi licensing seriously. Reports of child sexual exploitation are among allegations made. ( 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. Best and worst companies at resolving issues. (ZNh ( (((((((((( (EPEPI-Nh9G4sG4 sG4sG4 S{4 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. )((((QE( ( ( ( ( ( ))h9G4:9 4wE/4 sIJ ( Change of Address. w !1AQaq"2B #3Rbr disseminate the information contained within this e-mail. ( Its quick, easy and totally free. ^hibQE( ZJ(EPEPER ( ( ( ( ( ( (QE( E6) E:hwAKKAIKI@Q@IE QE R(4 J )hi( (i( have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. 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. SocietyWorks Ltd As such, the Council considers those applications and where the applicant is fit and proper, a licence is granted. Yours faithfully Taxi drivers protesting in Wolverhampton last year over the city council's controversial licensing system. Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli. have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. Instead, theyre full of the info you need to get things sorted. The vehicle proprietor must be registered with the Information Commissioner's ofWolverhampton Council . %PDF-1.7 "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. ( 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. Taxi complaints - a Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton Please notify It just seems like the budget line comes first above everything.. 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. 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 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. PDF Taxi CCTV Policy - Wolverhampton 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. What action has been taken by Wolverhampton council? It showed that in 2019 a total of 11,461 applications to Wolverhampton Council came from drivers based in Birmingham, while there were 2,457 from Manchester, 1,926 from Coventry, 1,279 from Leicester, 1,102 from Nottingham and 432 from Telford. PDF Taxi CCTV Policy - Wolverhampton This website uses cookies to enable essential site functionality, as well as marketing, personalised ads, and analytics. Donate and support our work. ( to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king.

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