ROUND THE COUNCILS SANDWELL:
SEDGEMOOR: IMPACT OF LICENCE RENEWAL DELAYS
Sandwell taxi drivers have complained about difficulties in renewing their li- cences during the coronavirus crisis. Frustrated drivers have hit out at the council which sus- pended face-to-face appointments dur- ing the pandemic, meaning they have had to contact the authority by phone or email. But ac- cording to the Express and Star, there have been complaints that calls have gone unan- swered, while some drivers can’t email. It is claimed some drivers have been left unable to work as
they have not been able to get their licences renewed, at a time when their income has taken a massive hit. One private hire driver said: “They don’t answer the phone, they expect us all to email. But we are not all good with email. You can be on hold for hours and no-one answers. “Now you have to download an appli- cation. The appoint- ment was face-to- face, now we have to submit every- thing online. It’s affecting certain people working. “Drivers have had to stop working be-
TAXI INSURANCE
RURAL PRIVATE HIRE AND FLEET INSURANCE SPECIALISTS
cause their licences have expired. In the last four or five months we have had no income whatso- ever.” A Sandwell Council spokesman said: “The taxi licensing team has and contin- ues to be con- tactable by both telephone and email. We do speak to our licence holders and understand the chal- lenges and as a result our officers are attempting to work with each individual licence holder on a case by case basis to find the easiest and most efficient way of resolving their en- quiry.”
RESIDENTS CONSULTED ON LICENSING ISSUES
Burnham-On-Sea residents are being invited to take part in a consultation about Sedgemoor District Council’s Draft Taxi Licensing Policy. Consultation on the policy – which cov- ers safety measures as well as general licensing points –
runs until autumn. A council spokes- person said: “Taxis are an important part of both the public transport sys- tem and infra- structure. It is rea- sonable to expect that a reliable and efficient service is provided in a safe and secure manner.
“They can provide a vital service at unso- ciable hours, be a lifeline for those in rural areas, or crucial for people with mobility issues.” If you wish to make written comments, email: l icensing@sedge
moor.gov.uk by 2nd October.
HERTFORDSHIRE: CABBIES OFFERED SAFETY ACCREDITATION
Taxi drivers across Hertfordshire are being offered free online training to keep themselves – and their passengers – safe during the pandemic. Those drivers who successfully com- plete the course can display a ‘Travel with Confidence’ sticker in their cab or PHV which shows cus- tomers that the risk of contracting Covid during their journey has been minimised. The course builds on the success of an ini- tiative that’s been developed in Wat- ford and it is being rolled out across the county by the Herts and Beds Licensing Group, with funding from Hertfordshire’s director of public health Jim McManus. In addition to the stickers,
those
0800 458 9702 OR 01527 757 585
44
drivers who com- plete the course also qualify for £100 towards the cost of a perspex screen to separate the drivers compartment. Oliver Rawlings, ser-
vice manager of licensing and en- forcement at East Herts and chair of the Herts and Beds Licensing Group, says the roll-out of the course recognis- es the proportion of drivers who may be more vulnerable to the serious effects of Covid-19 – either because they are from a BAME back- ground or because of their age. But he also points to the significant pro- portion of custom- ers who have under- lying health con- cerns themselves – often using taxis or PHVs to travel to and from hospital. And he hopes pas- sengers will speci- fically ask for vehi- cles where drivers have completed the training. “It’s about drivers protecting them- selves and their customers,” said Mr Rawlings. Meanwhile Nouman Tahir is the first taxi driver to have quali- fied for Watford
Borough Council’s Travel with Confi- dence accreditation mark proving he has completed the spe- cialist
infection
control and risk as- sessment training. Watford Council is also making a grant available for the installation of a pas- senger safety screen for Watford-based licence holders who meet the strict stan- dards required. Accredited drivers can be found on ranks as well as through the travel Watford app. The high standards of ‘Travel with Confi- dence’ are main- tained in partnership with experts in infec- tion control, health and safety and patient transport. Drivers must commit to ongoing random inspections and operators must agree to report the results of inspections on a regular basis. Any failure to uphold the standards will result in the removal of the accreditation.
SEPTEMBER 2020
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