CABBIES with serious criminal convictions are being allowed to work across the North East.
A Chronicle probe has revealed more than 100 taxi drivers with criminal records have been granted hackney cab licences.
Licences were issued to drivers with convictions for firearms offences, indecent assault, dangerous driving, harassment, theft and assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
A total of 101 licences were granted to drivers with past convictions or cautions after compulsory Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks.
It was interesting to see in the Evening Chronicle that North Tyneside had zero criminals working as Taxi Drivers until you read that they only provided figures for the last 7 months.
It is also interesting that Taxis only seem to get this ‘Bad Press’ at a time of year when we are hoping to be busy but it just goes to show that yet again the people that Licence us have let us down once more.
When Licensing is asked , time & time again, for help with various trade matters the answer always come back “our duty is to the travelling public” but this story shows that behind the scenes they are letting down the public aswell as us. Why has North Tyneside only given 7 Months of figures? what are they hiding? Some Councils even spouted the Data protection act but what about freedom of information? This is just one more thing that shows what a useless bunch oversee Taxi licensing in this Country!
{ 28 comments… read them below or add one }
Admin!!!
Nice to see Berwick Council were not mentioned, if it had it would have been 0 refusals and everyone else welcome!!!!
Regards
Happy New Year……..well nowt happy in January anyway!!!!
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
well for those that have had their go at Berwick and praised the standards of Newcastle and other North East councils and their quality control
“WHO’S LAUGHING NOW”
On a serious note this just shows that the councils talk a good talk but in reality they haven’t got a clue !!
These are the people that sit in rooms and tell us our rights and wrongs and have the nerve to treat us, sometimes like serious offenders or idiots, yet they can not get their own house in order.
Lets please not through anymore stones at Berwick as you need to remember your in a glass house
all the best for the new year and i will also admit this site and some comments from it have made me more aware of the troubles out on the streets and in our trade,
It has inspired me to make some small changes and attempt to do some things ourselves in the hope we can spur on some changes.
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Happy New Year from TooManyTaxis to every visitor to this site and thanks for your continued support, All The Best Lads n’ Lasses
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Ian Shanks, It would have been interesting if Berwicks figures had been included.
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Admin, put the request in yourself, the Evening Chronicle wont have requested it because they dont cover the area, if you want I can get my other half to ask Tom for his original FOI request for you so you get the same sample of information to compare?
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@Admin,
whilst i would not expect Berwick to be any different it just show to those drivers who have raved over the HIGH standards of Newcastle. they now find that its there own councils that have let them down.
the common problem i hope everyone is noting is the councils themselves. the fact that we are controlled by councilors that are plonked into committees, and have no knowledge or experience of the transport we provide.
i would rather take my chances with one body run by people who have some degree of knowledge of transport than committee members of a council !! because if councils were making the correct decisions why has each council got a different opinion of what is correct.
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
Mr Shanks!
I have digged Berwick Council myself, only because I was once a Badge Holder, so I knew a little more than the Critics, especially the ones who think Berwick does not carry out a CRB!.
Personally I have’nt raved on about Newcastle Council, not many NT Lads have, Reason…..
Because NT Private Hire Offices carry out a lot of work in Town, that does’nt say much for the Toon Boys, your Lads do loads up there, Central, Eastcoast and other Coastal firms do all the set fares back to the Coast normally ranging from £11.00 (Central) to £11.50 (Eastcoast).
The reasons why people people use NT offices up there are ..
a/ Price b/ Ethinicity of the Toon Hack Drivers c/ Toon Hacks not knowing how to get to Tynemouth, but still commanding a high fare!
That’s the customers opinions anyway…..And I agree with some!!!
So it’s only the British Toon Hacks that beef their Council up!
And that Mohammed from Noda calling people with documentation offences “Crooks” makes me laugh, I wonder does he ever go to the Central Station?????
Happy New Year to you all!
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Stephen (FKA Central Enth.),
my point was more of councils believing they have such high standards compared to others.
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@Stephen (FKA Central Enth.), you call this “documentation offences”?
“…Newcastle City Council’s licensing committee authorised three drivers with cautions for battery, one for possession of a firearm and one for indecent assault.
Newcastle City Council also granted licenses to five cabbies with convictions for driving without insurance.
Gateshead Council authorised one driver who had been disqualified for three years for drink-driving, a licence was given to a cabbie with two convictions for threatening behaviour, and one to a driver with an assault conviction…”
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Polish BLT Driver,
I was only stating that Documentation Offences, does not necessary make someone “Dangerous” or a “Crook”, but I agree anyone with Indecent Assault and Firearm offences should’nt be allowed on the road!
However I would like to know if ALL our foreign Drivers on Tyneside are squeaky clean in their respective Country!, especially those from the former “Warsaw Pact” Countries and those from jolly nice friendly Countries like Iran, Iraq and sunny Afghanistan!!!!!
One Driver I know is a “Tamil Tiger” in his own Country!, Tamil Tigers are described by the Sri Lankan Government as “Terrorists”, by the way this Driver is a canny Bloke!
So what do we have on the Road?????
Regards
Stephen
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Stephen (FKA Central Enth.)There are a lot of Eastern Europeans employed in social services industry looking after vulnerable people, where CRB checks are required before the employment. Many “Poles” have been recruited in their home countries specifically for that type of jobs in the UK so, as far as Eastern Europeans are concerned, I do not think that it would be problematic for the CRB to request the info they need from any “Warsaw Pact” Countries.
Cannot comment on “tigers”.
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
It would be interesting to find out how long ago these drivers have had a badge and how long ago there convictions were?
Especially the ones for indecent assault,firearms possesion and battery?and fair enough no insurance as well but the first three sprung to mind as???? god help us!
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Stephen (FKA Central Enth.), For a start,I`m a NODA driver,as was before Mr Suleman took over,Suli does work a hack,and from the station,and whilst Suli and myself dont always see things the same way,I would defend what he said regarding the report in the paper.
Im not an Asian driver,but there is good and bad on both camps,and ill back any driver up if he is right.
As another coment has stated,Berwick was not included as the information only concerned the local NE LA`s,but it would be interesting to see what the figures were for Berwick.
If a driver has convictions,and lets be honest,NON of us are angels,depending what those convictions were for,and how long ago they were…then the driver should not be discriminated against,HOWEVER…drink driving/drugs,serious assault,robbery,or offenses involving weapons,(firearms or other),should most definitely preclude a license issue.
Think about your own wives and kids,would you want someone like that picking them up.
We have enough `thieves` on our ranks charging ludicrous fares,or going miles out of the way because they have no idea where places are,without adding proffesional villains to the list too.
Berwick have always done CRB checks,as they are under English law,its mandatory,they have no choice,but..until 18 months ago…maybe 2 yrs they only did `standard` checks,not as now where they do the same as Newcastle..enhanced checks…BUT and heres the stupid bit, the law says they MUST do the checks,however the checks are NOT binding,so if a check comes back recommending refusal,the council can ,in theory,still issue the license.
As I stated before,Suli has,as far as i know,not employed any drivers with suspect backgrounds,and having known him a reasonable time,i think i can safely say that i trust him not to do so.
The fact that the press came by this information,demonstrates their total lack of interest in public safety and their total contempt for the taxi trade,in which ever area it be.
No wonder nobody wants to use taxis…..its a total joke.
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
come on lads why do you always shift the blame on foreigners when things are not rosy. most of you are victims of the tabloids who are discrediting some good hard working people who leave their families behind and their countries to contribute to the development of this country.did you not know that most of our drivers are at risk from some punters( you do not know who gets in your car)there is more to come since the credit crunch?… povrety is the mother of all crimes?I wish I had the tamil tiger training to look after myself.as for the pols take a good picture of their services because they will all leave GB 2012 when they join the Euro. did you not know who were the migrants of europe in Germany in the seventies … ask Jimmy nail pet..
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@eagle-eye, For the last two years Government ministers have been ramming it down our throats that mass imigration is good for our economy,immigrants add to our prosperity. One would have thought that due to our forethought in having mass immigration we would have avoided recession. In reality there was no shortage of Taxi drivers in this country,was there? and immigrants send a good portion of their earnings back home,seems good for their homeland economy but not Britains economy.Not to mention all the handouts new immigrants get and now British claimants are to be means tested and hounded for making any claims. Whatever your views on these matters…2009 will be a telling time for the British,immigrant and Born and bred alike will suffer this year!
Govt. Statistics. “In the current financial year, officials expect net migration – the difference between those arriving and leaving – to be 240,000.
Next year, projected net immigration is 230,000 – and this figure does not fall to the long-term ”assumption” of 190,000 a year until 2012.
Officials said the higher immigration figures over the next five year took account of the huge influx of workers from eastern Europe.”
Did this many Brickies & Plasterers mass migrate to Germany??
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@mark, “…Did this many Brickies & Plasterers mass migrate to Germany??”
This is off topic, but I would like to respond.
Many Eastern Europeans left their home countries for one simple reason – find a better paid job, which would allow them to support their families etc. A lot of them gone to the USA, Australia and of cause Europe. There are two main reasons why so many people have been choosing to come to Britain:
, then in my view it is not their fault.
1.“heavy” pound
2. ability to speak / understand English, as English is the most common foreign language that taught in the schools.
About six months ago a lot of Polish started to go back because exchange rate (British Pound – Polish Zloty) was making it pointless for them to work here, but that was before the credit crunch started. What’s going to happen now I cannot say.
However it would be wrong to think that there are no Eastern Europeans in Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, Holland, Ireland etc. I know for sure that Sweden has been recruiting med personnel from Lithuania, which is next to Poland. Holland, Spanish, English, French farmers recruit workers for their needs. One highly qualified turner from Poland, that I know, found job here because his (North East) employer advertised the vacancy across the EU. So EE people are prepared to go anywhere for a better pay, not for child benefits etc. However is there any kind of financial benefits (I know just one – child benefit) that “pols” are legally entailed to, without exposing any loopholes in the law, like in case of Berwick plates
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@eagle-eye,
You must be a “well off” person not to care about immigration, Mark is right, their is no shortage of Drivers here, so we did’nt need immigrants to fill the gap, unlike Healthcare sectors that have gone as far as the Phillipines to plug the Gap!
In my opinion, and stress Opinion Poland should have never been allowed to join the EU, joining the EU is to better your Country, NOT leave it and milk another economy!!.
UK Tradesmen going to Germany in the 80s, is a far cry from the bloody mess that we have in this Country!
If you want to leave your Country, you should have to apply properly and take a Trade with you that your chosen Country needs, also take enough Dosh to Buy a house instead of taking up a LA house!
I would like to go to Australia, but i don’t have a acute Trade, and they would’nt let me in, so I can’t just jump on a nice Easy Jet flight can I????, and go to some Outback Council for a easy Taxi Badge!!!!!!!!
Anyway back to Taxi talk in the prosperous January 2009!!!!!!
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
Stephen your comment about “there is no shortage of drivers” have you tried to recruit any yourself ??
i found myself some two years ago very short of drivers, and also found that the attraction to someone who was unemployed to become a taxi driver was none existent due to the barriers and expense they faced to be a licenced driver. this process would take them some months and at great expense to someone who may well have been on benefit’s.
So myself and Mr Irwin travelled to Prague after hearing about a school training drivers for the UK taxi and PH market. i personally had huge reservations about this but came back ‘turned upside down and inside out’ by the standard and dedication of people i met to get of there arses travel from their home countries of Poland and the Slovak that i then followed this particular class of trainees when they had arrived in the UK and started work to see how they got on and settled.
I was amazed (and still am) at the passion and dedication they showed to work and please people who offered them the simply right to be proud to earn a living for them selves.
i have seen and heard of people who have exploited them and thing this is wrong i offer them a position to earn money the same as i do any other driver being, and have been rewarded with a great service from them. i will not say we have not experienced some difficulty’s from them not knowing the area as well as you may feel they should, but if i got a English driver come to the area from Leeds for example he would have the same problems.
i have heard many horror storeys about these drivers going up one way streets and in no entry’s etc but have little complaints from customers that has caused us concern of any major worry.
we have to date about 15 EU drivers who have now worked in this area for a minimum of 12 months and more and i have no further problems.
i would like to see more interest from local English applicants and in the current climate may well get them. But i have nothing but praise for someone who has left so much behind such as family and friends and faced racism and abuse to simply make money for their family’s. I wonder if we would do the same if the roles were reversed ? maybe we have been very lucky in this country i don’t know but i for one can not knock them and dont think anyone else should !
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@ian shanks, Ian I have Read & reread all the comments on this thread and just so we are clear, I can’t honestly see that anyone is knocking EE Taxi drivers.
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Admin,
then read stephens entry above mine ! which to me has the tone of such feeling !!
quote stephen !!
In my opinion, and stress Opinion Poland should have never been allowed to join the EU, joining the EU is to better your Country, NOT leave it and milk another economy!!.
we didn’t need immigrants to fill the gap
UK Tradesmen going to Germany in the 80s, is a far cry from the bloody mess that we have in this Country!
admin maybe its just the tone of such comments that has led me to write as i did !! hope you see why now ???
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@ian shanks, i have just followed one of your berwick hacks down blackett st from gallowgate and he made a right turn opposite fenwicks past the monument on to grainger st . must have been following his satnav, obviousley hasnt took a LOCALity test. good job there were no coppers around,
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@derwentside hack, or he has seen an endless number of coppers making the same move with no blue lights on because they cant be arsed to driver around the block and thought it must be ok
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade@derwentside hack,
and is your next comment that he was Polish or Asian ???? would it surprise you to find out he is a ex North Tyneside driver now badged in berwick as well, who has lived all his life in the North East who just wanted to cheat the system ??
or what you saying here ????
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade@ian shanks,
Mr Shanks!
I have met you and you are a decent Business person with good standards!, my comment about Polish drivers is “Generic”,it’s not related to any Taxi firm in the North East!!
I AM NOT GETTING AT BLUELINE OK!
But one thing I disagree with is the “Shortage” issue, if their was a shortage of Drivers, their would be plenty of work over the last two years…SO NO ONE WOULD BE WHINGING ON HERE WOULD THEY???, in fact if everything was fine and dandy, this Website would’nt be here either!, and YOU would’nt be getting abuse on here from the the likes of Andy Warhol a Newcastle Hack Boy!, and the likes of me would’nt have asked you for a Job back in the summer!
Mr Shanks you wrote;
“I would like to see more interest from English applicants”, but what if they have been working at a firm in Railway Terrace North Shields eh?????, with a North Tyneside Badge!, and want to do a honest days work at a progressive firm???….we know the answer to that!
So it is not as easy as that is it???, judging OK drivers about something that does’nt relate to them from 2006!!!
Lets look at the Title of this Website…That you and I respect and think it’s good!…”Too MANY Taxis”…say no more!
I do apoligise to all if you find my comments are a little Rascist, but they are not!
So if their is a shortage of Drivers, can someone please tell me where all the work is for them?????????????????
It’s OK doing 18 hours on Boxing day like some Drivers did, but what happened before Christmas……..TOO MANY DRIVERS AT ALL THE OFFICES!!!
I bet their is a few Tradesmen, like Builders, Joiners & Painters that will not agree with you about the Poles either!!!
Regards to you all inc our EU friends!
Stephen
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@Stephen (FKA Central Enth.),
Stephen firstly when did you last attempt to recruit drivers ??
secondly it is my view that the drivers YOU say are whinging MAY have chose the wrong office to work at or they are of the mind that they think they work ten hour days when in fact they don’t, they may squander their money on tabs drink or food or even gamble and then say they have made NOW’T when it come to paying bills ?
thirdly i have had bad experiences of drivers from your office and that again in my view is because they come to a office working different areas and have rules, and is they find we are not a meeting place for chats or a play ground. I have in past posts explained i take all applicants from your area on their merits and still do. but you can see who take the job serious and who doesn’t and i often don’t want to waste my office time on the ones we believe are time wasters. but if they want to knock on my door they can do. but i can not make them.
the title of the website ! may well be true? the market is changing and all i know that i and some other PH firms have more work than we can cope with and i hope as we head into this next year it continues for everyone.
well all my drivers that worked correctly and did their hours i believe made their money and deservedly so !! if they say they didn’t i am happy to go through their hours and working pattern with them and show them who or what was to blame ! and i don’t think it will have been the office.
as far as trades men i have in the build up to Christmas required a builder joiner and a painter.
i have not look in getting a builder to start until after the new year !! my joiner was crap and made a mess of the job. and my painter again doesn’t work until JAN 5th
i have no experience of Polish or EU tradesmen of this type so i can not comment.
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
are you lot just going to bite and scratch !! the lot of you sound like a right bunch of schoolchildren!!! incase u havent noticed !!! there is a full blown rescession on thats heading for a depression !!! nut tha gov have only just accepted/admitted there is a prob !!! we have all !!known about for the last three years!!!this is not a pop at mr shanks but the big n/east firms just want more and more drivers in cars more rent etc !!! i dont work for b/line am a ph driver in newcastle !!!where we have around 190 cars free to do any shift they like!! therefore x amount cars sitting around on a friday night !!!!! the plane truth is there is not the money around there used to be and there is more of us fighting over it !!! bline ecoast ace lansdowne are all doing the same making sure there bills are paid whilst we all fight over wots left !! wot else can we do ?? just stop fighting between ourselves ..yes some people have done things we dont like but bitching and scratching the way u lot on here are !! your just boling each others p**s this website says too many taxis !!! some idiots on here are just empire building !!! get the council to sort all unlicensed cabs we have all seen the mass exoudus from town when enforcement come out even thoo they do very very little !! yet the honest ones amongst us get the hammers yet the REAL bandits not just from berwick !!! no how to play the system
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
firstly,
that article by the chronicle was nothing short of a advertising campaign by NODA taxis. This is about the third article that I have seen alone in the decembers chronicle with Mr. Sulliman giving his or NODAS views.
it is nothing short of trying to force people into PH cars over the, what we ALL knew was going to be a very bad, festive period.
secondly,
i to would like to see the dates of these offences, how far back to they go, or in what circumstances were they. I know one lad who DEFENDED himself when he was attacked by a passenger, only to be charged with using excessive force! And many things account to a firearms charge, cs gas for example. To lets all not start kidding ourselves that every other taxi driver is charles bronson! Yes there is some unsavoury characters in the taxi trade, but its the same in the police.
thirdly,
Ian, plain and simple, you recuruited the way you did due to cost, it saved you money and you stood to gain more by doing so. And if someone chooses to spend his money on tabs, booze and the odd bet, its his money, does this not come under leisure. So by your saying we should all just cover our bills as taxi drivers? NO leisure allowed? I dont smoke, rarely drink, and dont have an awfull lot left over after paying bills! What i do know is i had a lot more left over 4 years ago! What i do know is that offices have been flooded with drivers, who struggle to make money through the system, and come looking into city centres to steal HC work. What would you do Ian if you were a driver not making the money? And dont say there at the wrong office, myself a lansdown and BLT were sitting on New year at 6.30 and neither had any work.
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@richie,
it will ONLY get worse.
joe public with less disposible income = less nights out.
the more joe public’s get made redundant, and unable to get another job, the more turn to taxi driver to try and earn a living to keep the house etc etc …
while all along the large office’s and LA’s just keep trying to keep convince us that ‘we have never had it better’ and shaft us ALL for more money.
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