Licensing Enforcement Officers will report :
Private Hire Drivers who:-
Illegally ply for hire. (This will also invalidate your insurance)
Stand, wait or pull onto Hackney Carriage ranks.
Fail to wear their badge.
Have their two-way radio loose in the foot-well of their vehicle.
Drive without insurance.Hackney Carriage Drivers who:-
Drive their cabs with their meters unsealed.
Drive uninsured.
Allow their vehicles to be driven by unlicensed drivers.
Private Hire or Hackney Carriage Drivers who:-
Obstruct authorised officers or police officers.
Fail to comply with a request from such an officer.
Use false addresses.
Fail to report accidents to the licensing section.
Fail to report their change of address, or the transfer of their plates.
These offences carry maximum fines of between £400 and £5000 and in some instances will also include a minimum of 6 – 8 points on your licence.
Those drivers continually caught breaking the law or behaving in an unacceptable way will be reported to the Licensing Sub Committee who may suspend or revoke the drivers licence.
Rules of Evidence.
The Licensing Enforcement team are like any other authorised enforcement agency and must comply with all rules of evidence and home office guidelines to ensure consistency and fairness. In any case presented before a magistrate or crown court the prosecution must prove beyond all reasonable doubt that the offence charged was committed by the defendant. This means that in all cases the Council’s officers must ensure that they have followed up all reasonable lines of enquiry and that the matter has been processed efficiently and within strict guidelines and time limits.
Legislation which guides officers in their activities includes:-
The Police and Criminal Evidence Act.
Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act.
The Human Rights Act.
Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act.
Town Police Clauses Act.
Regulatory Investigations Procedures Act.
In order to ensure a reasonable chance of success the legislation must be used and adhered to.
Our Performance.
Our record to date shows that our investigations are conducted professionally and in accordance with all of the guidelines, and we average a 98 % success rate. Our team visited all private hire operators at least three times in the last year to ensure compliance with their conditions as well as dealing with complaints from members of the public, drivers and other agencies. The team conducts at least one stop check per month where on average seventy to eighty vehicles are inspected. The team also conducts at least two covert operations per month.
Our Operations
We have been increasing our overt “yellow coating” operations in the City Centre, in particular Broad Street to stamp out illegal activity by licensed vehicles. In recent years we have been asked to reduce this particular activity and concentrate on catching those vehicles plying for hire rather than conducting overt operations and stop checks. As a result we have continued to conduct plying for hire activities and have caught ‘out and out pirates’ and those who appear to regularly carry out this activity. Despite the number of exercises we conduct and the associated publicity generated it is very disappointing that we continue to catch licensed private hire vehicles plying for hire in the city.
Other activities we undertake include:-
Carrying out covert operations in order to catch those involved in pirating. [Remember you will not see us at this time, you will not know where we are or who we are until the end of the journey. We don't broadcast we are out when we are catching vehicles pirating.]
Educating the public via leaflets, bus advertisements and local radio announcements.
Utilising the Media to warn the public and advise them of the law.
Education campaigns at pubs and clubs regarding the Law.
Targetting Universities and colleges to get our message across.
Utilising other enforcement agencies such as parking attendants and traffic wardens.
Undertaking talks and presentations to institutions and groups.
Continued liaison with trade representatives to ensure that the best intelligence is obtained.
Licensing Enforcement Team,
Crystal Court,
Aston Cross Business Village,
50 Rocky Lane,
Aston,
Birmingham
B6 5RQ
(Monday, Tuesday and Thursday 9am – 4pm
Wednesday 10am – 4pm, Friday 9am – 3.30pm)
Telephone: 0121 303 9611
e-mail: licensing@birmingham.gov.uk
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
you should forward this on to a few LA’s in this area
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
so why cant our enforcement teams do this….
Other activities we undertake include:-
Carrying out covert operations in order to catch those involved in pirating. [Remember you will not see us at this time, you will not know where we are or who we are until the end of the journey. We don't broadcast we are out when we are catching vehicles pirating.]
Educating the public via leaflets, bus advertisements and local radio announcements.
Utilising the Media to warn the public and advise them of the law.
Education campaigns at pubs and clubs regarding the Law.
Targetting Universities and colleges to get our message across.
Utilising other enforcement agencies such as parking attendants and traffic wardens.
Undertaking talks and presentations to institutions and groups.
Continued liaison with trade representatives to ensure that the best intelligence is obtained
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
For a good covert operation, over the xmas period dress up as santa and ask for a ride from a private hire to the north pole, thats too much temptation for any ph,
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Andy Warhol:
“Education campaigns at pubs and clubs regarding the Law.”
What a load of bull!
People strolling out of the pubs just want to get in any old TAXI, be book be insured is the last thing on their mind! (in the case of 98%) Where is the Law enforcements when the good old private hire taxi’s are helping the police clear off all the troublesome streets early hours of the morning?????? In many cases the police WELCOME the quick clearing! so what happens to the “be booked bollox”
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Darren: for starters u r not taxis u r just private hire the clue is in the name PRIVATE HIRE “be booked bollox ????? isn’t that what u r licenced to be booked only nowt else if want clear the as u put it troublesome streets go down the proper channels and buy a hackney licence like all the legal drivers have and work within the law but guess u wont just another private hire driver who with a chip on his shoulder who thinks he can pick up anyone they want (well as long as it is going far away not a £3 round the corner fare) as for people strolling out of pubs and getting in any old taxi (which u r not one ie private hire ) its up to u not to let them in if u r not booked 4 them
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@another north tyneside hack driver:
Responding to the last commentator;
Punters are not children, they see a black taxi, they also see private hire taxi, the punter chooses the cheaper option! why pay 75% more! no wonder most punters with a bit of common sense avoid the “rip off” black taxi’s.
And why the heck would I want to license my self into a dying trade! Just face the heat of the competiton! look at all those misrerable faces in the black cabs! like a funeral everyday! If it wasnt for the good private hire troopers the police and half a dozen black cabs wouldnt cope with the magnitute of public disorder on the streets.
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Darren:
Firstly hacks are not 75 % more, and secondly your arguments floored when said punter gets into the car with a belly full of beer at over 3.20 a pint and a kebab that costs 6.50 in there hand. So they accpet a night in the city costs more than a night in the local. It’s you that seems to lack common sense and if your ever involved in a rta without a pre booked fare in your car claiming the lack of sense wony get you off…..
And it would be you thats in trouble if emforcement and prosecutions became a regular thing.
And how can the hack trade be dying if you claim we couldnt clear the work if the private hire didnt help is out, surely its your trade that is dying if you have to resort to working illegally.
Never mind darren christmas isnt far off so make sure a brains on the top of your santy list, one the size of a pea should do you for starters….
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@andy warhol:
Andy,
A few weeks ago we paid 7.50, a few miles down the road into town.
On the way back the Hackney Hurst charged me a staggering 12.80! Now with that sort of day light robbery even your mother would jump in my private cab and ride me all day :0)
For legal reasons, just get her to BOOK ME hey!
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@Darren: £7.50 for a few miles ?? in what a blt ??? what is a Hackney Hurst ?? £12.80 4 the same journey and the driver didnt have to pay £100 a week 4 the privledge who is the mug then ??/??? put it this way 2 jobs in the job centre one pays as u put it 75% more 4 doing the same job with less expenses (ie less miles cause we just sit round on the rank all day dont we no rent to pay less fuel) which job would u go 4 ??
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
as a rip off hack I’ve just charged £11.20 for return journey which a blt car charged(accordin to the punter who seemed genuine)13quid going……
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade
@another north tyneside hack: two petrol stations one charges 1.20 a ltr and the other a 1.00 a ltr which one will you use !!
dont be a clown, you as everyone else does, shops at the cheapest you can get the job or service done. so dont kid yourself
The views expressed in this site do not necessarily reflect the views of TooManyTaxis or the general U.K. Hackney Carriage Trade