On April 29, 2020, council officers received a. "What is really important is that we make sure we bring the taxi drivers in on this. (Q@Q@QL(EPE% QKI@-%G4s@ %/4sHhy9 94 ) - QG4 sAE- !()hhJ'zVP(g -%(?i ))QCRPE RQHaEPE%- QI@E)i)hQEQE !BQKE u'49hbm8h! They will investigate your complaint and respond to you direct. When questioned by council officers, Ayub, of Broadway, in Shirley, Solihull, said the increased cost was a result of coronavirus. Governance Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council Your donations keep this site and others like it running. ( The applicant is also checked against the National Anti-Fraud Networks (NAFN) National Register of Refusals, Revocations and Suspensions (NR3S). We will inform youif this is u&?JC Is climate change killing Australian wine? "In terms of my experience working on the front line and from working in some cases, there are some drivers that are predatory. Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli. TheFreedom of Information Act 2000may restrict the release of some or has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or Many established taxi drivers say the Deregulation Act 2015 is threatening their livelihoods and claim a change in the application process is "risking customer safety". Putting things right Complaints process Other options mySociety "There have been several consultations about the private hire trade and he appears to be playing catch up. Councillor Philip Page, chairman of the councils regulatory committee, said: We take public safety very seriously at Wolverhampton. If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error This request has been closed to new correspondence. Has the incident been reported to the police. 7 0 obj The request was refused by Wolverhampton City Council. ( 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. (Q@QH( We need to support the private hire trade in the city and not turn ourselves into a taxi version of Gretna Green. Contact us if you think it should be reopened. 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". xUMo0#HMH,mQ-Uki66>X{o<3n|uYK6+m which may be legally privileged and/or subject to the provisions of 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". Taxi and cab drivers have staged go-slow protests against the current regulations around the country, saying they leave the public at risk. Then like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. [1][Wolverhampton City Council request email] Resolver is free. (Q@(((ER ( (( );R QG4s@4Q4 3G4PRSi PE%EPG4Q Applicants are also required to disclose any previous licensing history. Slower processing times and higher fees elsewhere had encouraged many drivers to choose Wolverhampton. Subscribe to one or all notification sources from this one place. 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". Police were informed in all cases, it said. Resolver can help you send your complaints to Wolverhampton City Council. Established in 2008. endobj This email contains proprietary confidential information some or all of ( 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. has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or Where complaints are made, the Council has a key performance indicator (KPI) for all complaints involving safeguarding concerns to be investigated within one day. Six of the drivers in the CSE reports had their licences taken from them but the seventh complaint was not upheld. 4 0 obj The city has taken on new staff in a bid to cope with demand, documents say. mySociety 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. 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. A site to help anyone submit a Freedom of Information request. Public safety is paramount and we are constantly working to improve our processes to protect people. 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. "I was sitting in the back of the taxi and he put his hand on my knee". The delegation was agreed by the district authority's cabinet on. 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. Wolverhampton City Council, Download a zip file of all correspondence, Enforcement of standards in private rented sector, Noise complaints for Premier League stadiums, People banned from council-owned buildings. ( Navdeep Nijjar We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. City of Wolverhampton Council licensed Hackney Carriages and Private Hire . Visible links The situation has led to a chaotic picture emerging around the country, with authorities unable to control all cabbies working in their area. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? (ZNh ( (((((((((( (EPEPI-Nh9G4sG4 sG4sG4 S{4 Contact details. Taxi drivers licensed by a council which is accused of threatening public safety are suspected of serious sexual offences. ofWolverhampton Council . the author immediately by replying to this email. 13 Birmingham pubs named after royalty - but are they celebrating the Kings Coronation Weekend? L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council . 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. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day's top stories sent directly to you. 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. Reports of child sexual exploitation are among allegations made. "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. ( ( Customer Engagement Officer Responsible for local and national political stories, opinion, comment and analysis. The Council is 100% compliant with this KPI. South Staffordshire Council is handing over taxi and private hire licensing functions to Wolverhampton Council (CWC). )(((h(QE 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). He added there should be a cap on the number of drivers that can be licensed by one authority as it would lead to a "safer and more robust system". 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". of how you may appeal (if appropriate). all of the information you have requested. The Council uploaded all its historic computer data to this register and all refusals by the Council are added to this register. Taxi drivers to face extra criminal checks, Taxi driver jailed for sex assault in cab, Taxi licence regulation 'must be tougher', Taxi and private hire vehicle licensing report, Taxi Complaints - City of Wolverhampton Council, 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. <> "They will know for example, that the children live together in residential care homes and become friendly with them, and quite easily take advantage of a particular vulnerability by being approachable by offering a sense of fulfilment to that child by offering things that are perceived to be quite adult or responsible such as alcohol, drugs and gifts, and begin grooming them that way before abusing them.". The report made furthest from the West Midlands city came from a complainant more than 150 miles away. The standard of behaviour and level of trust expected should be demonstrated in the conduct of those licensed at all times. privacy legislation. The campaign also highlights the risks involved in taking an unlicensed vehicle and how to identify a legitimate taxi or private hire driver. Your donations keep this site and others like it running. except where the sender specifically states these to be the views Email:licensing@sstaffs.gov.ukTelephone: (01902) 696000, Sign up to receive news and updates from South Staffordshire Council. 5 0 obj Photo: Wolverhampton Council Drivers gathered outside. If their licence is revoked, this decision is recorded on NR3S, in case the driver tries to apply for a licence at another authority. Thank you for your request for information that was received on6 November 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. 3 0 obj It licences drivers from around the UK including Scotland, Manchester and Nottingham.