Latest news with #taxiSafety
BBC News
08-07-2025
- BBC News
Out-of-town taxi concerns in Portsmouth after woman harassed
Portsmouth councillors are calling for urgent action to stop out-of-town taxis operating in the city after a woman alleged she was sexually harassed by a driver licensed in 44-year-old woman said the man made sexualised remarks, delayed unlocking the door and hovered his hand over her leg as she tried to leave the vehicle on Wednesday. The vehicle was licensed by City of Wolverhampton Council, which said it was illegal to reject applicants based on where they live or limit the number of private hire licences. The government has said it plans to pass laws to tackle inconsistent taxi and private hire standards amid safety fears. The woman reported the incident to the taxi firm and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, which confirmed it was Strudwick, chair of Portsmouth's licensing committee, said: "We're seeing dozens of these cars every month. We have no enforcement power over them, and it puts the public at risk." Councillor Lee Hunt said current laws "frustrate our ability to apply local safety standards", while councillor George Madgwick warned the lack of CCTV in Wolverhampton-plated taxis was a failure in "deterrent, protection, and accountability".A City of Wolverhampton Council spokesperson said it was the only local authority running daily DBS checks and the first to introduce smartphone licence verification."We take enforcement responsibilities seriously and our officers are out across the country, every Friday and Saturday night, working to protect the public," the spokesperson month, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the government wanted to improve taxi licensing standards."We will work as quickly as possible and consider all options including out-of-area working, national standards and enforcement, seeking the best overall outcome for passenger safety," she added. The taxi firm has been approached for comment. You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
27-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Transport secretary vows to tighten taxi licensing laws
Ministers have vowed to pass laws to tackle inconsistent taxi and private hire standards amid fears some vehicles "are a dangerous place for many children and young people".Labour MP for Tipton and Wednesbury Antonia Bance spoke in the Commons on Thursday to ask what the government was doing about local taxi licensing referred to Wolverhampton, where applications are believed to be quicker and cheaper than those made Secretary Heidi Alexander said the matter was being taken "very seriously", promising to hold local authorities not following compliance to account. In January, the prime minister tasked Baroness Casey with conducting a rapid review into grooming gangs and child sexual findings, published on 17 June, identified "many cases of group-based child sexual exploitation" as having links with said: "Last week, the Casey review showed us yet again that private hire vehicles are a dangerous place for many children and young people.""What action is the minister going to take to make sure that local taxi licensing is done locally to high standards?" 'Lack of stringency' Alexander told MPs: "Baroness Casey has rightly brought this issue into sharp focus and we've committed to legislating this issue."We will work as quickly as possible and consider all options including out-of-area working, national standards and enforcement, seeking the best overall outcome for passenger safety."Baroness Casey dedicated a chapter of her audit to taxi licensing. It said taxis had historically been identified in a minority of cases as a way children became at risk of sexual exploitation."Both as a potential way for perpetrators to meet their victims, as well as a means of trafficking victims to different locations and introducing them to other perpetrators," the review later added: "A lack of stringency means that drivers who are unscrupulous can apply to a lax neighbouring borough" for a licence, and urged the government to "close these loopholes urgently". 'Illegal to refuse applicants' Licensed taxi drivers are allowed to operate anywhere in England and Wales and are not tied to the district where they got their licence.A report by Taxi Point highlighted 96% of Wolverhampton approved taxi and private hire licence holders lived outside the city between April 2023 and March 2024. City of Wolverhampton Council told the BBC safeguarding was its "number one priority" in taxi licensing and that it was "the first to implement the government's statutory standards and best practice guidance".A spokesman said. "It is illegal for the council to refuse applicants a taxi licence on the basis of where they live."It is also illegal for licensing authorities to impose a limit on the number of private hire licences they issue."The council does not gain financially from taxi licensing, as the fees are legally ring-fenced for spend only on related activities." Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
27-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Compulsory CCTV cameras for Norwich's taxis ruled out
A city's taxi drivers will not be made to have CCTV in their cars despite a majority of people backing the idea in a City Council consulted on changes to regulation for taxis and private hire vehicles following the introduction of new laws to improve passenger have agreed to tighten rules, including more regular background checks and safeguarding training for while 58% of 230 people responding to a survey supported mandatory cameras in cabs, a regulatory committee meeting agreed they should be optional instead. A report warned cabbies would face costs of up to £1,000 each for cameras, while the council would face extra costs for administering a scheme. At the meeting, Green councillor Liam Calvert argued cameras should become standard, given levels of support from the trade and public."It keeps drivers safe from false allegations, it makes our job as a licensing authority very considerably easier because when allegations come and we can very quickly check if an incident occurred or not," he said"There's nothing not to like."But Labour's Claire Kidman warned CCTV was not "the safety panacea we think it is"."There was a recent incident in Norwich that happened wholly outside the taxi. The CCTV wouldn't have really made a difference," she fellow Labour councillor Richard Lawes agreed cameras could "give a false sense of security"."The sensible position is to allow it to be optional, see how it works in practice with those who do adopt it, and base further consideration on that," he committee unanimously agreed that CCTV should be optional, with drivers responsible for complying with laws including data authority's Labour-run cabinet will have final say on the changes. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
