ROUND THE COUNCILS WINCHESTER:
NEW TAXI POLICY: CCTV IN TAXIS CONSIDERED
Winchester civic chiefs are looking at insisting all taxis have CCTV installed in vehicles. According to the Hampshire Chronicle, the city council says it will be working on getting CCTV in cabs in 2023 once it has sufficient resources. The cameras would record visually and on audio anything happening between drivers and passengers. Briony Appletree, licensing manager, said the issue entailed a huge amount of work with analysis of statistics over crime and complaints. She said: “A lot of people would like CCTV in taxis but we need to demonstrate it is proportionate and necessary.” Taxi firms can already install their own CCTV. Cllr Brian Lam- ing asked how many instances there have been in which CCTV would have helped with Ms Appletree saying there were 40 complaints last financial year. The committee also heard that enhanced DBS checks will now be conducted every six months instead of three years. Any licensed taxi driver who has been abroad for six months must supply a certificate of good character. Also the council is looking at installing more EV charging points. David Ingram, environmental health manager, said there are 35 EV points across the district and there is cur- rently only one electric taxi in the district, with the cost of new vehicles the stumbling block, more than the current shortage of charging points. The council is keen to promote electric taxis which can be eight years old and on the road for up to 15 years compared to 5 years for new petrol/diesel taxis and 12 years on the road. Cllr Laming raised the issue of taxi door signs which must now display city council details. Initially the council said taxi firms must get them done at one of two suppliers at a cost of £75 a pair. After complaints, the council relented and now allows operators to use whichever supplier they wish, and most get the signs for £25 a pair. The council has paid a £40- 60 goodwill payment to those firms who paid the higher amount, said Ms Appletree.
EAST STAFFORDSHIRE: CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED TO PROTECT CABBIES
A campaign has been launched to protect East Staffs cab- bies after they went on strike on one of the busiest days of the year over an alleged attack on a working cabbie. Amid claims of “inaction” by the authorities, drivers, police and council leaders have attended a crunch meeting at Burton Town Hall. According to StaffordshireLive, they have dis- cussed how East Staffordshire Borough Council can help protect drivers and members of the public. At the meeting, councillors George Allen, Paul Walker, Syed
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Hussain and Arshad Asfar raised concerns from drivers. It was agreed that the borough council would meet regularly with the police and representatives of the taxi trade in East Staffs to see how collectively they can protect cabbies . In addition, the council will be running a communications campaign to highlight issues around appropriate behaviour when people are using taxis. Councillor George Allen, leader of the council, said: “It’s vital that members of the taxi trade feel safe when they are work- ing and I look forward to our continued discussions over the coming months.” Tristan Kaylun Bates, 22, has been charged with assaulting an employee who worked for 43 Taxis, based in Burton.
SEFTON: CRIMINAL RECORDS RULES COULD BE CHANGED
Drivers with criminal records could be made to wait twice as long before applying to become taxi drivers under new rules set to go under consultation in Sefton. According to the Liverpool Echo, if approved, the new licensing standards would mean people convicted of violent offences, hate crimes and acts of dishonesty waiting much longer than previously, before being eligible to apply to drive a private hire or hackney cab. People convicted of any type of sexual or indecency offence would not be able to apply for a licence at all. Current guidelines state that people convicted of crimes related to dishonesty are unlikely to be granted a licence until a gap of at least three years since their conviction, depending on the offence. The planned new rules, part of a series of statutory measures recommended by the DfT were discussed at a meeting of Sefton Council’s licensing committee on 13 June. The rules would change the three-year guideline to a requirement that: “a licence will not be granted until at least seven years since the completion of any sentence imposed.” For people with convictions relating to violence, this time period increases to ten years. Those convicted of possessing a weapon would have to wait seven years before applying. For offences involving discrimination, such as hate crimes, people would be banned from holding a taxi licence until at least seven years since the completion of their sentence. With drugs offences the waiting period would be ten years and for any crimes resulting in the death of another, a life- time ban on becoming a taxi driver would be imposed. Under the new rules, there would also be a blanket ban on people convicted of sexual or exploitation offences applying to become hackney and private hire drivers. Other planned changes to the rules would expand require- ments for criminal record checks to include taxi operators and company directors as well as taxi drivers. Councillors agreed to begin the consultation process.
JULY 2022
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