wolverhampton council taxi complaints

This email has been scanned for all viruses and all reasonable precautions and a limited company (03277032). Whilst people apply to Wolverhampton from all over the country, we conduct compliance operations all over the country. The Council has never refused a request from a licensing authority for a compliance operation in their area. privacy legislation. Please provide as much information as possible to help our Licensing Compliance team investigate your complaint. ( If you need to make a complaint about a driver or a vehicle, please visit thecomplaints page. disseminate the information contained within this e-mail. 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. 13 Birmingham pubs named after royalty - but are they celebrating the Kings Coronation Weekend? ( Its quick, easy and totally free. @RRQE%0(JZ (QE Visible links Thank you for your request for information that was received on6 November Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? City of Wolverhampton Council takes taxi licensing seriously. 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. ofWolverhampton Council . It is intended solely for the addressee. ( 'Downloads' section of the Council's Taxi Licences webpage). Political Editor for the Express & Star. Contact details. J)h )(h (%-PHii(cRHR})sG4sE J`(4QH((EPEPEPEPEPEPEPEPEP2Q[)R If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error 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. 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. 8 0 obj w !1AQaq"2B #3Rbr City of Wolverhampton Council said it prioritised local taxi driver applications. services through our wholly owned subsidiary Councillor Alan Bolshaw, the citys licensing chief, said: Councillor Bird seems to have come quite late to the party. Current guidelines allow councils to set their own driver standards, including whether to make the checks. n)=_} bRqHCD@[WP,=|B2Ho|Sc$+! Enquiries are made with those authorities and any previous complaints considered with the Councils Guidelines. disseminate the information contained within this e-mail. have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking. Wolverhampton Council handed out a record 15,000 private hire licences last year raking in nearly 3.7 million in fees. u6`QK@E%E%/z( (Q@RPKE QIKHOQL(QKI@J^h Your donations keep this site and others like it running. (Q@QH((((((((aEP2Sk`(= Donate and support our work. 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. If their licence is revoked, this decision is recorded on NR3S, in case the driver tries to apply for a licence at another authority. endobj Wolverhampton Council, 4 0 obj ( 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. 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. 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. ofWolverhampton Council . Donate and support our work. 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". Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The vehicle proprietor must be registered with the Information Commissioner's 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. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. The Councils Guidelines are regularly reviewed and as of November 2022 are currently under review pending the anticipated publication of Government Best Practice Guidance. Where new information is found, their licence is reviewed. The Council is 100% compliant with this KPI. complaints against drivers, are less likely to occur in an environment . Where there are motoring convictions, these are also considered against the Councils guidelines. ( 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. Read about our approach to external linking. ( 2019. This request has been closed to new correspondence. ( Magistrates dismissed Sahrish Rahat Ayubs appeal against Wolverhampton Councils decision to revoke her private hire driver licence. (Q@(((ER ( (( );R QG4s@4Q4 3G4PRSi PE%EPG4Q "What is really important is that we make sure we bring the taxi drivers in on this. 2019aboutTaxi complaints Are you the owner of any commercial copyright on this page? requested for any other reason together with the reason(s) why and details Every council in England would be told to carry out checks on all applicants. Then like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. "I was sitting in the back of the taxi and he put his hand on my knee". 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". You may change your settings at any time or accept the default settings. 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. has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or Navdeep Nijjar L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council CCTV may also be fitted to cars, with an encrypted system so footage could only be accessed if a crime was reported. ( Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. . Complaints . 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. ( ( Fears have been raised drivers are "shopping around" to find the easiest way to obtain a licence. EP 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). send you a fee notice and we will require you to pay the fee before mySociety and a limited company (03277032). Printed from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/taxi_complaints_4?unfold=1 on May 02, 2023 00:03. 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. Wolverhampton Council launched The Additional Restriction Grant - Taxi and Private Hire Grant Scheme to help drivers across the city. Predators can use relaxed rules to become taxi drivers and gain access to vulnerable passengers, a victim's charity said. 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. 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. of how you may appeal (if appropriate). Responsible for local and national political stories, opinion, comment and analysis. We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. 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, Rita Ora and Karlie Kloss arrive at the Met Gala, France May Day protests leave dozens of police injured. endobj As such, the Council considers those applications and where the applicant is fit and proper, a licence is granted. "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. )i( ( 4G Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Wolverhampton registers about a third of England's taxi drivers, according to a report. Resolver is a totally free service that you can use to complain effectively. the case and advise you of your rights to request an internal review and ago In Wolverhampton they can use older taxis That's the main reason 13 blake-a-mania 8 mo. When questioned by council officers, Ayub, of Broadway, in Shirley, Solihull, said the increased cost was a result of coronavirus. 2000andwe aim to senda response by4 December 2019. Mr Ashford welcomed news of the government's proposals for tougher legislation. Wolverhampton council said it stripped licences from suspects immediately. We willcarry outan assessment The city council added it had been at the forefront of calls for a national database of drivers. ( 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. privacy legislation. City of Wolverhampton Council licensed Hackney Carriages and Private Hire . "We would like to see a return of standards so that public safety is not put at risk.". A total of 170 taxis were inspected by our dedicated Roads Policing Unit, in line with COVID and road safety regulations. If not, we will refer your complaint to the manager responsible for the service you're unhappy with. Wolverhampton licensing bosses have insisted they informed relevant authorities when serious reports of crimes were made, but several councils have told the BBC they were unaware of the allegations. City of Wolverhampton Council Taxi Licensing Safeguarding Statement, A face-to-face English assessment (followed by a recorded interview where there are any concerns), Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. Freedom of Information Act 2000 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. Once a statement is provided you may be asked to give evidence in court. 7 0 obj WhatDoTheyKnow also publishes and archives requests and responses, building a massive archive of information. (Q@QH( It is only after these checks have been satisfied that an applicant can become a licensed driver. Wolverhampton This policy relates to surveillance cameras, also. [1][Wolverhampton City Council request email] The first is an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which includes a check on the children and vulnerable adults barred list. ( endobj The vehicle is then checked in person by our trained vehicle inspectors. ( which may be legally privileged and/or subject to the provisions of The authoritys total income from private hire and Hackney Carriage licensing was 157,482. We provide commercial Instead, theyre full of the info you need to get things sorted. Please notify 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'. <> Before becoming a driver,. ( 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". Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day's top stories sent directly to you. 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 . 30 March 2022. (PE QE Q@ EPEPEPEPQGE Q J( City of Wolverhampton Council takes taxi licensing seriously. 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. <> The report made furthest from the West Midlands city came from a complainant more than 150 miles away. NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. the use of this email or attachments. Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli. is a registered charity in England and Wales (1076346) When we receive a complaint, if the problem is something we can put right straight away, we will. 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. Please provide number of complaints received by council in relation to uber taxis from 2015-2019, Information request Wolverhampton has registered about a third of England's taxi drivers and is inundated with applications, according to a report. 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. 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). ( Dear Wolverhampton City Council, Please could you provide a list by (name / address / contact details /) . Is climate change killing Australian wine? The campaign also highlights the risks involved in taking an unlicensed vehicle and how to identify a legitimate taxi or private hire driver. SocietyWorks Ltd 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. 2. 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. View as HTML. Across 2021 and 2022, 55% of applicants failed this assessment. might not provide that informationto you. "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. Established in 2008. the author immediately by replying to this email. In Wolverhampton itself, there were four allegations of CSE and four serious sexual allegations. <> ( ( 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 stream 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. Deputy chief reporter at the Express & Star. We automatically connect you to contacts at thousands of household names, ombudsmen and regulators to find a resolution. Established in 2008. Photo: Wolverhampton Council Drivers gathered outside. L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council . )(((h(QE Resolver can help you send your complaints to Wolverhampton City Council. Complaints about taxi drivers. It is examining a range of proposals, including making taxi and private hire. Council cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from <> It licences drivers from around the UK including Scotland, Manchester and Nottingham. 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.". Taxi drivers and council colleagues say farewell to Elaine Moreton (centre) who is retiring at the age of 75 after 39 years' service. 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. Is climate change killing Australian wine? Members of the council's regulatory committee are set to discuss the matter on Wednesday. Weve helped millions of people find a resolution. ( ( A new report to Walsalls director of public health has outlined concerns over dwindling application numbers. 1 0 obj Six of the drivers in the CSE reports had their licences taken from them but the seventh complaint was not upheld. <> It is intended solely for the addressee. 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. Our reference: 926105, --------------------------------------------------------------------------. except where the sender specifically states these to be the views 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. Please notify We use the DBS Update Service to check drivers DBS certificates every day of the week. Drivers must have held a UK driving licence for at least one year and this licence is checked as part of the application process. Theres no jargon in our rights guides. ( Councillor Philip Page, chairman of the councils regulatory committee, said: We take public safety very seriously at Wolverhampton. Please check with your phone provider if you are unsure about how much a call will cost. 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. 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. A site to help anyone submit a Freedom of Information request. ( We also undertake Compliance Operations throughout the year, including Friday and Saturday nights to ensure safety for visitors to the night-time economy. Would you be willing to provide a witness statement? The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. ( The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. ( 2023 Resolver Consumer Online Limited. Resolver is free. Change of Address. Slower processing times and higher fees elsewhere had encouraged many drivers to choose Wolverhampton. We take passengers safety and wellbeing seriously. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. please follow the link to Wolverhampton City Council Taxi Licensing. 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. Applicants are also required to disclose any previous licensing history. 13 Birmingham pubs named after royalty - but are they celebrating the Kings Coronation Weekend? i90#?WHB CH 7:+ 6YgY]BPU8q-HG-b%+aK`y=DUFB%2)x$T'oSz+! Over the same period Wolverhampton Council had 1,018 applications from private hire drivers based in Walsall. Are you the owner of any commercial copyright on this page? The Council uploaded all its historic computer data to this register and all refusals by the Council are added to this register. (IKFh I@Q@ E- QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE RR ( ( ) sG4sH999999( ()i)h( (QE Wolverhampton This email contains proprietary confidential information some or all of 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.. Z( sEPEaZ5 )VJZHiZ)Qj4 va@b 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. In some case, a fee may be payable. (h-! (%P P0PH(h@ vZ( (( The customer was charged 15 for a trip to Russells Hall Hospital from her home in Dudley, which is typically priced at 7. The situation has led to a chaotic picture emerging around the country, with authorities unable to control all cabbies working in their area. 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. Further information about the vehicles and drivers licensed for South Staffordshire are available on ourInformation for Passengers page. ( (/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 Consumer guides, newsletters, surveys and more! the use of this email or attachments. The applicant is also checked against the National Anti-Fraud Networks (NAFN) National Register of Refusals, Revocations and Suspensions (NR3S). We provide commercial
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