( ( 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. Want to help others get their issues sorted fast or see the latest updates about how Resolver can help you? Freedom of Information Act 2000 Wolverhampton Council has cornered the market, but you have to question whether it is right that a driver can get a licence there but ply their trade hundreds of miles away, he said. is a registered charity in England and Wales (1076346) Please check with your phone provider if you are unsure about how much a call will cost. of how you may appeal (if appropriate). Change in taxi laws could call time on Wolverhampton's 'out of control If you need to make a complaint about a driver or a vehicle, please visit thecomplaints page. Concerns have also been raised over passenger safety. 'Downloads' section of the Council's Taxi Licences webpage). 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. ( The vehicle proprietor must be registered with the Information Commissioner's Get started. It is intended solely for the addressee. It has granted 35,035 private hire licences since 2017, pumping 8.7m into the authoritys coffers. 2. Read about our approach to external linking. The first is an enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, which includes a check on the children and vulnerable adults barred list. 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.. A total of 927 drivers were said to be waiting for a hearing to determine their application. Wolverhampton Council handed out a record 15,000 private hire licences last year raking in nearly 3.7 million in fees. Are you the owner of any commercial copyright on this page? Drivers must attend a one-day driver training programme, provided independently by Worcestershire County Council. Wolverhampton taxi drivers accused of serious sex crimes (Q@QH((((((((aEP2Sk`(= Subscribe to one or all notification sources from this one place. ( Simple! 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 Learn more about Resolver Pro and how to claim your business. Magistrates dismissed Sahrish Rahat Ayub's appeal against Wolverhampton Council's decision to revoke her private hire driver licence. J)h )(h (%-PHii(cRHR})sG4sE J`(4QH((EPEPEPEPEPEPEPEPEP2Q[)R Freedom of Information Act 2000 Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Council cannot accept responsibility for any loss or damage arising from 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. In 2018-19 Birmingham Council issued 1,768 private hire licences, down 11 per cent on the previous year. 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. ( 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. Get started now and lets get this sorted. It's quick, easy and (best of all) it's free. This request has been closed to new correspondence. ( If you need to make a complaint about a driver or a vehicle, . ago In Wolverhampton they can use older taxis That's the main reason 13 blake-a-mania 8 mo. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. JFIF ` ` C The secret mine that hid the Nazis' stolen treasure. except where the sender specifically states these to be the views } !1AQa"q2#BR$3br Yours faithfully ( Taxi drivers and council colleagues say farewell to Elaine Moreton (centre) who is retiring at the age of 75 after 39 years' service. endobj Importantly, our driver conditions dictate that drivers must cooperate with reasonable requests from compliance staff authorised in other areas. is a registered charity in England and Wales (1076346) The service also undergoes audit each year. By providing you with all the tools and contact details needed to raise and manage your complaint, we put you firmly in control of your issue. Wolverhampton has registered about a third of England's taxi drivers and is inundated with applications, according to a report. SocietyWorks Ltd The report noted there had been a decline in the number of private hire drivers nationally since 2020, possibly, it said, because drivers had left the industry after seeing a loss of trade during the Covid-19 pandemic. Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli. By providing you with all the tools and contact details needed to raise and manage your complaint, we put you firmly in control of your issue. This training is only available in English and covers the following: This syllabus is regularly reviewed, including with the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) and Partnership Strategic Exploitation Co-ordinator. i90#?WHB CH 7:+ 6YgY]BPU8q-HG-b%+aK`y=DUFB%2)x$T'oSz+! 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. View our cookie policy here. ( Why is my taxi from another city? - BBC News Subscribe to our newsletter to get the day's top stories sent directly to you. List of Private Hire Operators - WhatDoTheyKnow the use of this email or attachments. "In terms of my experience working on the front line and from working in some cases, there are some drivers that are predatory. This week, the government said it was tightening taxi safety guidelines and considering stopping drivers from operating hundreds of miles away from where they were licensed. Consumer guides, newsletters, surveys and more! Instead, theyre full of the info you need to get things sorted. It just seems like the budget line comes first above everything.. ( Wolverhampton licensing bosses have insisted they informed relevant authorities when serious reports of crimes were made, but several councils have told the BBC they were unaware of the allegations. Is climate change killing Australian wine? 7 0 obj Please notify Resolve your Wolverhampton City Council Complaints for free | Resolver UK This email contains proprietary confidential information some or all of 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. The report made furthest from the West Midlands city came from a complainant more than 150 miles away. He backed plans for a government review into licensing, saying it should "bring it up-to-date and to create a regime that is fit for the 21st Century". South Staffordshire Council is handing over taxi and private hire licensing functions to Wolverhampton Council (CWC). [1][Wolverhampton City Council request email] Thank you for your request for information received on6 November "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. In the last financial year, the city registered an extra 7,428 drivers, taking the total with a Wolverhampton licence to 26,745. "We would like to see a return of standards so that public safety is not put at risk.". <>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 594.96 842.04] /Contents 4 0 R/StructParents 0>> It licences drivers from around the UK including Scotland, Manchester and Nottingham. 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. Wolverhampton Council 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. <> We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. Read about our approach to external linking. 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. mySociety The city council added it had been at the forefront of calls for a national database of drivers. WhatDoTheyKnow also publishes and archives requests and responses, building a massive archive of information. <> Wolverhampton registers about a third of England's taxi drivers, according to a report. %&'()*456789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz send you a fee notice and we will require you to pay the fee before Taxi drivers 'missing out on Covid . The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. If not, we will refer your complaint to the manager responsible for the service you're unhappy with. L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council . 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. ( 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 The topic of taxi safety comes after the case of "black cab rapist" John Worboys, who police believe may have carried out more than 100 rapes and sexual assaults on women he picked up in London between 2002 and 2008. This condition empowers officers in other areas and where drivers are breaking the law then other licensing authorities can and do prosecute them. 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. Whilst people apply to Wolverhampton from all over the country, we conduct compliance operations all over the country. Taxi & Private Hire Vehicle Licensing - South Staffordshire the case and advise you of your rights to request an internal review and Responsible for local and national political stories, opinion, comment and analysis. We provide commercial Before April 2015, there. 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. ( hh hh hhQ@%- QK@ EPEPPQE QEQE QE QE0 Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Why are a lot of Wolverhampton council taxis appearing in - Reddit 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. (Q@%- QI@EP'4s@. 6 0 obj endobj Any views expressed in this email are those of the individual sender, Our reference: 926105, --------------------------------------------------------------------------. Successful Weekend Taxi Enforcement Operation - Merseyside Police ( South Staffordshire taxi licensing to be handled by Wolverhampton Council Fears have been raised drivers are "shopping around" to find the easiest way to obtain a licence. ( ( Taxi and cab drivers have staged go-slow protests against the current regulations around the country, saying they leave the public at risk. What action has been taken by Wolverhampton council? ( Email:licensing@sstaffs.gov.ukTelephone: (01902) 696000, Sign up to receive news and updates from South Staffordshire Council. Customer Engagement Officer Let us know what you think has gone wrong and how you think we can correct it. Explore in 3D: The dazzling crown that makes a king. City of Wolverhampton Council takes taxi licensing seriously. NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. ( )})( %- RJ- K@ J(i)i( ( 2023 BBC. The Council has never refused a request from a licensing authority for a compliance operation in their area. The BBC has been unable to determine whether the drivers accused of offences have faced criminal proceedings. City of Wolverhampton Council said it prioritised local taxi driver applications. Run by Volunteers and powered by Alaveteli. ofWolverhampton Council . 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. Wolverhampton Council currently operates a Get Home Safe campaign which seeks to make sure the public are aware of the differences between hiring hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. Six of the drivers in the CSE reports had their licences taken from them but the seventh complaint was not upheld. <> 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'. You may change your settings at any time or accept the default settings. 1. mailto:[Wolverhampton City Council request email], 92K $4%&'()*56789:CDEFGHIJSTUVWXYZcdefghijstuvwxyz ? Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. . ?$;@>~T&qM+lT?zgi-]rlR%I*ndshgU / We couldnt load the mail server logs for this message. 2 0 obj privacy legislation. The vehicle is then checked in person by our trained vehicle inspectors. has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or We automatically connect you to contacts at thousands of household names, ombudsmen and regulators to find a resolution. ( Across the weekend (Friday 18 December and Saturday 19 December), 27 taxi drivers were issued with enforcement action, including defect notices or suspension of licenses. The Council is 100% compliant with this KPI. But only a small fraction of the new licence holders are operating in the city, with some drivers working hundreds of miles away in Scotland. 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. The overall figure for last year was up 25 per cent on 2018, and represented an 18-fold increase on the 833 licences the authority handed out in 2015. Over the same period Wolverhampton Council had 1,018 applications from private hire drivers based in Walsall. Taxi complaints Wolverhampton City Council. Every council in England would be told to carry out checks on all applicants. which may be legally privileged and/or subject to the provisions of Please note, if you are not willing to provide a witness statement we may be unable to process your complaint fully. Did this woman die because her genitals were cut? Resolver can help you send your complaints to Wolverhampton City Council. 9 0 obj However, if you'd rather complain directly, you can use the above address to contact Wolverhampton City Council. % Weve helped millions of people find a resolution. Would you be willing to provide a witness statement? Resolver is free. 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". (( ) ( ( L9@sG4s@4sG4s@4sG4s@sKG4( ((((aEP0(QE( ( (`QE Help us protect your right to hold public authorities to account. This website uses cookies to enable essential site functionality, as well as marketing, personalised ads, and analytics. Donate and support our work. The data was provided in a Freedom of Information request. 4 0 obj ( ^hibQE( ZJ(EPEPER ( ( ( ( ( ( (QE( E6) E:hwAKKAIKI@Q@IE QE R(4 J )hi( (i( ( ( has misdirected this e-mail; you must not use, disclose, copy, print or ( 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. We need to support the private hire trade in the city and not turn ourselves into a taxi version of Gretna Green. If you need to book a wheelchair accessible vehicle this is a list of thecurrent licensed providers. Further information about the vehicles and drivers licensed for South Staffordshire are available on ourInformation for Passengers page. 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. 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. and if anyexemptionsapplyto some or all ofthe information then we Drivers must have held a UK driving licence for at least one year and this licence is checked as part of the application process. Your donations keep this site and others like it running. At the end of the training programme, there is a written assessment. The city has taken on new staff in a bid to cope with demand, documents say. DearL Thompson Its quick, easy and totally free. Wolverhampton Council launched The Additional Restriction Grant - Taxi and Private Hire Grant Scheme to help drivers across the city. City of Wolverhampton Council Taxi Licensing Safeguarding Statement, A face-to-face English assessment (followed by a recorded interview where there are any concerns), Safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. Thank you for your request for information that was received on6 November 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. Resolver is not affiliated to, linked with or otherwise endorsed by Wolverhampton City Council. Wolverhampton u6`QK@E%E%/z( (Q@RPKE QIKHOQL(QKI@J^h Yours faithfully ( 1 0 obj Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic? PDF Taxi CCTV Policy - Wolverhampton 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. 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 2023 Resolver Consumer Online Limited. L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council (%-% ii(BsKIh9O/4 GS jJV ( ^j@J(QH((((((( Wolverhampton Council hits back over Bolton councillor's taxi licensing 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. City of Wolverhampton Council takes taxi licensing seriously. L thompson made this Freedom of Information request to Wolverhampton City Council stream (E 4.h i)h(@ E QF( jZ;PEhRCRhZ%4 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. UIE( E-#RQE fQGARPE(EZ())ZNhPKE z 5/4> !P EPER ( ) QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QE QEQE QIP% ((jGIKGz )(J(( _Z)(Z()h)h (((((( ( LEPEPEPEPEPEPEPEPEPEPE RE Customer Engagement Officer ( Magistrates dismissed Sahrish Rahat Ayubs appeal against Wolverhampton Councils decision to revoke her private hire driver licence. Read about our approach to external linking. Dear Wolverhampton City Council, Number of Private hire taxi operators who have breached their operators licence conditions including name of operator and details of breaches from 2017 -2019 . Write to our Complaints Manager, City of Wolverhampton Council, Civic Centre, St Peter's Square, Wolverhampton, WV1 1RL Ask a friend, a relative, advocate or anyone to contact us your behalf Make sure you give us as much information as possible. ( the author immediately by replying to this email. @RRQE%0(JZ (QE These guidelines have been consulted on with the industry, police, courts and all other councils. except where the sender specifically states these to be the views <> please follow the link to Wolverhampton City Council Taxi Licensing. Wolverhampton a magnet for taxi driver applications - BBC News ( Dear Wolverhampton City Council, Please could you provide a list by (name / address / contact details /) . have been taken to ensure that no viruses are present. Pay Customer Self-Service - Wolverhampton 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". 30 March 2022. Reports of child sexual exploitation are among allegations made against drivers licensed in Wolverhampton, but who also operate across England. Meanwhile Walsall Council received just 48 new applications for licences last year, when it had a total of 1,129 private hire drivers registered. 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. Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, and sign up for local news updates direct to your phone. 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. Police were informed in all cases, it said. Public safety is paramount and we are constantly working to improve our processes to protect people. His contribution to the debate is welcomed as much as anybody's.". the use of this email or attachments. City of Wolverhampton Council Taxi Licensing Safeguarding Statement The guidelines have been benchmarked against the Institute of Licensings Guidance and the Governments Statutory Standards and in both documents cases, the Councils rehabilitation periods are longer. (Q@QH( We also undertake Compliance Operations throughout the year, including Friday and Saturday nights to ensure safety for visitors to the night-time economy. Taxi drivers protesting in Wolverhampton last year over the city council's controversial licensing system. Contact us if you think it should be reopened. endobj ^PER`QE We are working with industry leaders, regulators and government to make your voice heard and improve customer service. NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. endobj ( Where there are motoring convictions, these are also considered against the Councils guidelines. <> They will investigate your complaint and respond to you direct. C " Applicants are also required to disclose any previous licensing history. Governance Predators can use relaxed rules to become taxi drivers and gain access to vulnerable passengers, a victim's charity said. 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). 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.