We provide commercial L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council which may be legally privileged and/or subject to the provisions of endobj Established in 2008. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. Meanwhile Walsall Council received just 48 new applications for licences last year, when it had a total of 1,129 private hire drivers registered. 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. Yours faithfully Change of Address. 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. 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. The vehicle is then checked in person by our trained vehicle inspectors. A total of 170 taxis were inspected by our dedicated Roads Policing Unit, in line with COVID and road safety regulations. ( Councillor Philip Page, chairman of the councils regulatory committee, said: We take public safety very seriously at Wolverhampton. PDF Taxi CCTV Policy - Wolverhampton Wolverhampton City Council, Download a zip file of all correspondence, Children and adults removed by social services due to poor housing conditions, Correspondence between UBER BRITANNIA LIMITED and 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. We willcarry outan assessment privacy legislation. Wolverhampton Council Taxi complaints. 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. "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.". except where the sender specifically states these to be the views <>/OutputIntents[<>] /Metadata 371 0 R/ViewerPreferences 372 0 R>> Putting things right Complaints process Other options Before becoming a driver,. n)=_} bRqHCD@[WP,=|B2Ho|Sc$+! Dear Wolverhampton City Council, Please could you provide a list by (name / address / contact details /) . 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. Wolverhampton ( 2023 BBC. If you need to make a complaint about a driver or a vehicle, . ( List of Private Hire Operators - WhatDoTheyKnow 6 0 obj At the end of the training programme, there is a written assessment. J((h Where complaints are made, the Council has a key performance indicator (KPI) for all complaints involving safeguarding concerns to be investigated within one day. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. A site to help anyone submit a Freedom of Information request. 2019. ^hibQE( ZJ(EPEPER ( ( ( ( ( ( (QE( E6) E:hwAKKAIKI@Q@IE QE R(4 J )hi( (i( 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. 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. View as HTML. mySociety 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. have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. 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". We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. 2023 BBC. Wolverhampton a magnet for taxi driver applications - BBC News 30 March 2022. NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. Applicants are also required to disclose any previous licensing history. 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 to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office. Are you the owner of any commercial copyright on this page? <> 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. } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br "I was sitting in the back of the taxi and he put his hand on my knee". Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. 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. Our reference: 1386425, Response all information to be supplied.pdf, 96K ( Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? It just seems like the budget line comes first above everything.. ago In Wolverhampton they can use older taxis That's the main reason 13 blake-a-mania 8 mo. Our reference: 926105, --------------------------------------------------------------------------. TheFreedom of Information Act 2000may restrict the release of some or JFIF ` ` C Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day's top stories sent directly to you. 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 takes taxi licensing seriously. Just raise a case and leave feedback after. <> Taxi drivers protesting in Wolverhampton last year over the city council's controversial licensing system. In the last financial year, the city registered an extra 7,428 drivers, taking the total with a Wolverhampton licence to 26,745. 4 0 obj The delegation was agreed by the district authority's cabinet on. ( Responsible for local and national political stories, opinion, comment and analysis. (Q@QH( ( Please provide your details so we can keep you informed on the outcome of the complaint you wish to raise. This website uses cookies to enable essential site functionality, as well as marketing, personalised ads, and analytics. (/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 Wolverhampton registers about a third of England's taxi drivers, according to a report. 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.. @RRQE%0(JZ (QE 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. Taxi drivers and council staff say a fond farewell to the 'queen of all of the information you have requested. which may be legally privileged and/or subject to the provisions of Read about our approach to external linking. Theres no jargon in our rights guides. ago 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 Wolverhampton 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. L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council . The Council uploaded all its historic computer data to this register and all refusals by the Council are added to this register. the case and advise you of your rights to request an internal review and 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. endobj (05798215). Magistrates dismissed Sahrish Rahat Ayubs appeal against Wolverhampton Councils decision to revoke her private hire driver licence. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. SocietyWorks Ltd Taxi drivers 'missing out on Covid . Private Hire Driver Licence Application JZ(99(J ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ((EPEPER(96 Resolver can help you send your complaints to Wolverhampton City Council. Pay Customer Self-Service - Wolverhampton Thank you for your request for information that was received on6 November ( The Councils Guidelines are regularly reviewed and as of November 2022 are currently under review pending the anticipated publication of Government Best Practice Guidance. Please notify Before becoming a driver, there are several requirements that must be met. We need to support the private hire trade in the city and not turn ourselves into a taxi version of Gretna Green. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? Police were informed in all cases, it said. This email contains proprietary confidential information some or all of )})( %- RJ- K@ J(i)i( ( Its quick, easy and totally free. ( 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. DearL Thompson 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. Read about our approach to external linking. They will investigate your complaint and respond to you direct. This request has been closed to new correspondence. Would you be willing to provide a witness statement? If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error Summary of CCTV Requirements 1. You can be certain that youre talking to the right person at the right time. Consumer guides, newsletters, surveys and more! A Ministry of Transport (MOT) certificate dated no more than 10 days prior to the application date must also be provided. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Established in 2008. 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. . 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. Mr Ashford welcomed news of the government's proposals for tougher legislation. Use Resolver to make a complaint. Fears have been raised drivers are "shopping around" to find the easiest way to obtain a licence. ( Papers found the situation had emerged since the government in 2015 ruled drivers could register anywhere in the country, not just their local area. Yours faithfully Thank you for your request for information received on6 November 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. This email has been scanned for all viruses and all reasonable precautions NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. 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). "There have been several consultations about the private hire trade and he appears to be playing catch up. "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. 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 . Private hire driver loses licence for overcharging passenger after 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. ofWolverhampton Council . 13 Birmingham pubs named after royalty - but are they celebrating the Kings Coronation Weekend? Importantly, our driver conditions dictate that drivers must cooperate with reasonable requests from compliance staff authorised in other areas. Placing members of the public at unnecessary risk by taking a booking without valid insurance is unacceptable.. ?$;@>~T&qM+lT?zgi-]rlR%I*ndshgU / ( (PE QE Q@ EPEPEPEPQGE Q J( If we decide a fee is payable, we will u&?JC ZLP J;i Pi(KBR :J((ZJ(RRQE QE Q@ )))hEPEPRI@Rs@)ii(z please follow the link to Wolverhampton City Council Taxi Licensing. In Wolverhampton itself, there were four allegations of CSE and four serious sexual allegations. Political Editor for the Express & Star. 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". Taxi complaints - a Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton Predators can use relaxed rules to become taxi drivers and gain access to vulnerable passengers, a victim's charity said. The service has never failed an audit. 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. 9 0 obj <> Whilst people apply to Wolverhampton from all over the country, we conduct compliance operations all over the country. (Q@QH((((((((aEP2Sk`(= Your donations keep this site and others like it running. 2000andwe aim to senda response by4 December 2019. 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. As such, the Council considers those applications and where the applicant is fit and proper, a licence is granted. It is examining a range of proposals, including making taxi and private hire. ( ( Download ofWolverhampton Council . Where a matching record is found, information is requested from the licensing authority and a licence will not be granted until this information is considered. We provide commercial ( endobj Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. Six of the drivers in the CSE reports had their licences taken from them but the seventh complaint was not upheld. Change in taxi laws could call time on Wolverhampton's 'out of control A site to help anyone submit a Freedom of Information request. Printed from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/taxi_complaints_5 on May 02, 2023 00:03. )((((QE( ( ( ( ( ( ))h9G4:9 4wE/4 sIJ ( 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. (05798215). 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. Wolverhampton City Council Complaints Email & Phone | Resolver UK endobj Visible links The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Freedom of Information Act 2000 1 0 obj PDF Taxi CCTV Policy - Wolverhampton Drivers must attend a one-day driver training programme, provided independently by Worcestershire County Council. 13 Birmingham pubs named after royalty - but are they celebrating the Kings Coronation Weekend? We will also advise you if we cannot provide you with the information Deputy chief reporter at the Express & Star. ( (@QE 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. Donate and support our work. mySociety ]k w79`Yu-i%r!H106 43@QX-Wq/ 2,000 grants to help Wolverhampton taxi drivers | Express & Star ( 'Downloads' section of the Council's Taxi Licences webpage). 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. All rights reserved. Get started. Please provide as much information as possible to help our Licensing Compliance team investigate your complaint. Resolve your Wolverhampton City Council Complaints for free | Resolver UK Taxi drivers licensed by a council which is accused of threatening public safety are suspected of serious sexual offences. 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. This policy relates to surveillance cameras, also. 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. It has granted 35,035 private hire licences since 2017, pumping 8.7m into the authoritys coffers. 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). Please provide number of complaints received by council in relation to uber taxis from 2015-2019, Information request Contact us if you think it should be reopened. 3 0 obj The data was provided in a Freedom of Information request. Please note, if you are not willing to provide a witness statement we may be unable to process your complaint fully. 7 0 obj ( 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". Photo: Wolverhampton Council Drivers gathered outside. 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'. Z( sEPEaZ5 )VJZHiZ)Qj4 va@b ( Public safety is paramount and we are constantly working to improve our processes to protect people. Subscribe to one or all notification sources from this one place. ( 5 0 obj If you are not the intended recipient, an addressing or transmission error Freedom of Information Act 2000 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. South Staffordshire Council is handing over taxi and private hire licensing functions to Wolverhampton Council (CWC). Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. 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. Subscribe to one or all notification sources from this one place. Taxi licences | City Of Wolverhampton Council Reports of child sexual exploitation are among allegations made. City of Wolverhampton Council takes taxi licensing seriously. Simple! "We would like to see a return of standards so that public safety is not put at risk.". Public safety is paramount and we are constantly working to improve our processes to protect people. Taxi Complaints - Report a taxi driver | City Of Wolverhampton Council %PDF-1.7 <> stream the author immediately by replying to this email. Contact details. City of Wolverhampton Council Taxi Licensing Safeguarding Statement Wolverhampton ( w !1AQaq"2B #3Rbr Please check with your phone provider if you are unsure about how much a call will cost. Dear Wolverhampton City Council, Please provide number of complaints received by council in relation to uber taxis from 2015-2019 . and a limited company (03277032). is a registered charity in England and Wales (1076346) The request was refused by Wolverhampton City Council. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Contact us if you think it should be reopened. Established taxi drivers in Wolverhampton have previously protested over what they said was a fall in standards since the Deregulation Act was introduced. (Q@(((ER ( (( );R QG4s@4Q4 3G4PRSi PE%EPG4Q Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli. and a limited company (03277032). The service also undergoes audit each year. 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". If their licence is revoked, this decision is recorded on NR3S, in case the driver tries to apply for a licence at another authority. We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. 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. 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. ( The BBC has been unable to determine whether the drivers accused of offences have faced criminal proceedings. <> The city council added it had been at the forefront of calls for a national database of drivers. Over the same period Wolverhampton Council had 1,018 applications from private hire drivers based in Walsall. Email:licensing@sstaffs.gov.ukTelephone: (01902) 696000, Sign up to receive news and updates from South Staffordshire Council. . Are you the owner of any commercial copyright on this page? Resolver is a totally free service that you can use to complain effectively. Drivers must undergo medical certification to Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) Group 2 Standards.
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