New Checks For Taxi Drivers

[10ClarionSt]

Apparently there is going to be enhanced checking of people who apply for a taxi drivers licence. This is meant to reduce the risk of sexual crime by taxi drivers. However, what this shows is just how much out of touch with reality, some people are. It's a well know fact round here that the vast majority of drivers are operating illegally and one more ineffective piece of legislation won't make the slightest bit of difference. It works like this:
A man opens a convenience store and applies for a licence to sell alcohol and tobacco. He then applies for a licence to operate a taxi. Having gained both, his friends and family run the shop and operate the taxi between them, but he is the only one who is legal. This is happening all the time. He may not even open a convenience store; just apply for taxi licence.
People in authority live in a land of utopia and dreams, instead of looking at the reality and try to gain the experience of living amongst these things. Get you head out of the clouds, have a look round and put your feet on the ground. The reality is a lot more scary than the proposed new measures.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-47205790

[hc4361]

That wouldn't work, retrocop, jockeying private hire care and black taxis is perfectly legal.

[ProfessorMaisie]

Here's some perspctive for you dannyk13 - taxi drivers have been implicated in just about every case of child grooming by Pakistani rape gangs in our cities. As you're an ex-police officer from Bradford I'm surprised you're not aware of this. I'm sure you know of a very small town near you that issues enough taxi licences to provide several large cities with a surfeit of drivers - many with criminal records. Advanced checking of taxi drivers is long overdue.
It's a bit early to say whether Bradford's taxi drivers will be implicated in the same way but it's good to see that the grooming gangs there are finally being brought to justice - until now they must have felt pretty secure in a city with such a big 'Asian' community.

[Peter Pedant]

// you know of a town near you that issues enough taxi licences to provide several cities with a surfeit of drivers//

erm no or yes

This goes to the heart of the philosophy of licensing
( er excuse me?)
that is - do you license anyone who fulfils the then criteria or do you use licences to limit and control the market whether or not unlucky others fulfil the criteria and dont get the licence ?

[10ClarionSt]

Thanks for all the replies. Peter Pedant, the Manchester drivers who take the kids on days out are the legitimate owners of the taxi licences. That's one occasion where they won't let anyone else do it cos of the good publicity. And it's mainly hackney cabs, I think. The issue isn't with the black cabs, although I don't think the report makes that distinction. It's the private hire cabs. Lots and lots of those drivers are unlicenced and uninsured. If they are involved in an accident, they just drive off and aren't bothered about any investigations. Some of them are illegal immigrants, as was proved in Bury when there was a police/immigration/dwp check which found many of them.
This new law won't change anything except to cause more work for legitimate owner/drivers.

[Spicerack]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-45474296

[10ClarionSt]

I do get it, Spicerack. I do. I do. I don't think some people can grasp the fact that people are just getting into taxis and driving as though they are licenced and insured. THEY AREN'T! They use the cab and at the end of their shift, they give the owner a backhander. Police and councils don't have the staff to carry out thorough vetting, which is why these rogue drivers get away with it.

[LaurenWelchat]

I completely agree with this article.