Weve helped millions of people find a resolution. 4 0 obj ( The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. On April 29, 2020, council officers received a. and if anyexemptionsapplyto some or all ofthe information then we ( EP Thank you for your request for information received on6 November Our reference: 926105, --------------------------------------------------------------------------. ( Read about our approach to external linking. Public safety is paramount and we are constantly working to improve our processes to protect people. Please provide your details so we can keep you informed on the outcome of the complaint you wish to raise. (Q@Q@QL(EPE% QKI@-%G4s@ %/4sHhy9 94 ) - QG4 sAE- !()hhJ'zVP(g -%(?i ))QCRPE RQHaEPE%- QI@E)i)hQEQE !BQKE u'49hbm8h! In some case, a fee may be payable. 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). It currently has 4,461 drivers licensed. 7 0 obj (/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 The request was refused by Wolverhampton City Council. (Q@QH((((((((aEP2Sk`(= Printed from https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/taxi_complaints_5 on May 02, 2023 00:03. Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli. Any views expressed in this email are those of the individual sender, 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. The BBC has been unable to determine whether the drivers accused of offences have faced criminal proceedings. ( )i( ( 4G ( ofWolverhampton Council . Wolverhampton has registered about a third of England's taxi drivers and is inundated with applications, according to a report. We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. Read about our approach to external linking. 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". Council cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from It just seems like the budget line comes first above everything.. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. Wolverhampton Let us know what you think has gone wrong and how you think we can correct it. 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.. We take passengers safety and wellbeing seriously. (05798215). 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. request. Predators can use relaxed rules to become taxi drivers and gain access to vulnerable passengers, a victim's charity said. Resolver can help you send your complaints to Wolverhampton City Council. requested for any other reason together with the reason(s) why and details 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. endobj (IKFh I@Q@ E- QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE RR ( ( ) sG4sH999999( ()i)h( (QE Where there are motoring convictions, these are also considered against the Councils guidelines. Mr Ashford welcomed news of the government's proposals for tougher legislation. Some drivers may have taken on related work as delivery drivers, the report added. (ZNh ( (((((((((( (EPEPI-Nh9G4sG4 sG4sG4 S{4 mySociety As such, the Council considers those applications and where the applicant is fit and proper, a licence is granted. 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. 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". stream Our reference: 1386425, Response all information to be supplied.pdf, 96K Wolverhampton Council handed out a record 15,000 private hire licences last year raking in nearly 3.7 million in fees. 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. Please check with your phone provider if you are unsure about how much a call will cost. 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". Z( sEPEaZ5 )VJZHiZ)Qj4 va@b NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. Yours faithfully, Complaints about taxi drivers. We will also advise you if we cannot provide you with the information 2023 BBC. ( ago disseminate the information contained within this e-mail. The service also undergoes audit each year. The licensing authority has been made aware of complaints against drivers via police, other councils and by passengers themselves. w !1AQaq"2B #3Rbr We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. <> This condition empowers officers in other areas and where drivers are breaking the law then other licensing authorities can and do prosecute them. "There have been several consultations about the private hire trade and he appears to be playing catch up. Reports of child sexual exploitation are among allegations made against drivers licensed in Wolverhampton, but who also operate across England. 5 0 obj SocietyWorks Ltd Download Please notify 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. Resolver is free. DearL Thompson services through our wholly owned subsidiary However, the authoritys dominance of the market has not gone down well with other councils, some of which have seen their own private hire applications plummet. It is examining a range of proposals, including making taxi and private hire. services through our wholly owned subsidiary have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. 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. 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. We use the DBS Update Service to check drivers DBS certificates every day of the week. Then like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. (( ) ( ( L9@sG4s@4sG4s@4sG4s@sKG4( ((((aEP0(QE( ( (`QE This may only be completed by a General Medical Council (GMC) registered practitioner. Wolverhampton City Council Taxi Licensing. Meanwhile Walsall Council received just 48 new applications for licences last year, when it had a total of 1,129 private hire drivers registered. Summary of CCTV Requirements 1. Taxi drivers protesting in Wolverhampton last year over the city council's controversial licensing system. n)=_} bRqHCD@[WP,=|B2Ho|Sc$+! Get started now and lets get this sorted. the case and advise you of your rights to request an internal review and 2. The customer was charged 15 for a trip to Russells Hall Hospital from her home in Dudley, which is typically priced at 7. ( South Staffordshire Council is handing over taxi and private hire licensing functions to Wolverhampton Council (CWC). } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br 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. SocietyWorks Ltd complaints against drivers, are less likely to occur in an environment . 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 . Its quick, easy and totally free. L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council Established in 2008. ( Visible links The standard of behaviour and level of trust expected should be demonstrated in the conduct of those licensed at all times. Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. The authoritys total income from private hire and Hackney Carriage licensing was 157,482. 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. Whilst people apply to Wolverhampton from all over the country, we conduct compliance operations all over the country. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. 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. We also undertake Compliance Operations throughout the year, including Friday and Saturday nights to ensure safety for visitors to the night-time economy. The campaign also highlights the risks involved in taking an unlicensed vehicle and how to identify a legitimate taxi or private hire driver. Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? 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. The vehicle is then checked in person by our trained vehicle inspectors. 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. We provide commercial )((((QE( ( ( ( ( ( ))h9G4:9 4wE/4 sIJ ( The Council is 100% compliant with this KPI. ( Placing members of the public at unnecessary risk by taking a booking without valid insurance is unacceptable.. <> It is only after these checks have been satisfied that an applicant can become a licensed driver. Reports of child sexual exploitation are among allegations made. 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. 1. mailto:[Wolverhampton City Council request email], 92K 2023 Resolver Consumer Online Limited. Putting things right Complaints process Other options Taxi complaints Wolverhampton City Council. Best and worst companies at resolving issues. 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. 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. Taxi drivers and council colleagues say farewell to Elaine Moreton (centre) who is retiring at the age of 75 after 39 years' service. ( L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council . Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli. Freedom of Information Act 2000 Wolverhampton 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. We need to support the private hire trade in the city and not turn ourselves into a taxi version of Gretna Green. 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. ( City of Wolverhampton Council takes taxi licensing seriously. privacy legislation. It should be noted that there is no provision in legislation to refuse to consider an application from an individual who lives outside of Wolverhampton. ( 9h *99CKE %@ Z ( AQ@E4 Q9j QF J QJ QT ( ZCKE EP RRQE QI@ERQE Q@RSQE!R (RR}iMHJ^hhsG4sG4 sAz(`QK@ ER ( ) QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE( [JQIJ> h J(QK) )?% -J (KI@Q@- QKI@Q@Q@Q@%- QE EPQKI@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@Q@ E-% (()9G4QH99hh hhhJZ J)h( (QE(QE 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. list by name and contact details of private hire vehicle operators licensed to/by Wolverhampton council 2020 ( endobj Established taxi drivers in Wolverhampton have previously protested over what they said was a fall in standards since the Deregulation Act was introduced. (%-% ii(BsKIh9O/4 GS jJV ( ^j@J(QH((((((( Any views expressed in this email are those of the individual sender, This request has been closed to new correspondence. 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. stream Resolver is not affiliated to, linked with or otherwise endorsed by Wolverhampton City Council. WhatDoTheyKnow also publishes and archives requests and responses, building a massive archive of information. ( ( 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. Across 2021 and 2022, 55% of applicants failed this assessment. Get started. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. Dear Wolverhampton City Council, Please provide number of complaints received by council in relation to uber taxis from 2015-2019 . % ( 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'. Deputy chief reporter at the Express & Star. ( It will see eligible drivers receive a one-off payment of. Members of the council's regulatory committee are set to discuss the matter on Wednesday. 9 0 obj They will investigate your complaint and respond to you direct. C " "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. Responsible for local and national political stories, opinion, comment and analysis. Please provide as much information as possible to help our Licensing Compliance team investigate your complaint. ( Wolverhampton Council It licences drivers from around the UK including Scotland, Manchester and Nottingham. View as HTML. ofWolverhampton Council . Current guidelines allow councils to set their own driver standards, including whether to make the checks. <> 1 0 obj A total of 170 taxis were inspected by our dedicated Roads Policing Unit, in line with COVID and road safety regulations. Is climate change killing Australian wine? `!DR ( 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. A Ministry of Transport (MOT) certificate dated no more than 10 days prior to the application date must also be provided. Please note, if you are not willing to provide a witness statement we may be unable to process your complaint fully. Finally, the driver must attend our offices in person, where they undergo facial verification against their driving licence and proof of right to work in the UK. This email has been scanned for all viruses and all reasonable precautions endobj Your donations keep this site and others like it running. (h-! (%P P0PH(h@ vZ( (( Yours faithfully 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. JFIF ` ` C ( (@QE Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. The application fee for a New Private Hire Driver licence is 64.00 for a 1 year licence or 120.00 for a 3 year licence and must be paid electronically as part of this application process. except where the sender specifically states these to be the views Change of Address. 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. Donate and support our work. Fears have been raised drivers are "shopping around" to find the easiest way to obtain a licence. 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. The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. To apply/renew your driver or vehicle licence follow the links below. PQ[PKE))h4 QEIK@QZJ )h@ E-% - RPQE -PEPEPEPEPEPHih( (( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ( ((JZ@QE QE H9@ %/4sI@ E- QE% QK@ EP0(QE(QE QE %-S ) QE RQFhi)i( (E4hz ?hh 94P JZ(4 i(9(E -'4G4:9CG4 RJ) JB1E RP~( IE(ABQE Learn more about Resolver Pro and how to claim your business. ( Where new information is found, their licence is reviewed. 2000andwe aim to senda response by4 December 2019. uKIJ( (C %Z %( _(4 PR@%PK ( 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. Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. "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. @RRQE%0(JZ (QE 8 0 obj endobj Resolver is a totally free service that you can use to complain effectively. Wolverhampton council said it stripped licences from suspects immediately. 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. If not, we will refer your complaint to the manager responsible for the service you're unhappy with. The situation has led to a chaotic picture emerging around the country, with authorities unable to control all cabbies working in their area. Over the same period Wolverhampton Council had 1,018 applications from private hire drivers based in Walsall. endstream We automatically connect you to contacts at thousands of household names, ombudsmen and regulators to find a resolution. With Resolver you can send your case to key ombudsmen and regulators including: Resolver is not affiliated to, linked with or otherwise endorsed by Wolverhampton City Council. Well always be on hand with guidance and support to help you get the results youre looking for. endobj 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 ( Customer Engagement Officer "I was sitting in the back of the taxi and he put his hand on my knee". 30 March 2022. and a limited company (03277032). Contact details. Importantly, our driver conditions dictate that drivers must cooperate with reasonable requests from compliance staff authorised in other areas. When questioned by council officers, Ayub, of Broadway, in Shirley, Solihull, said the increased cost was a result of coronavirus. Subscribe to one or all notification sources from this one place.