Taxi safety loopholes are to be closed after councils reached an historic agreement on safety.
The move is aimed at ensuring Derby drivers who are licensed in the Nottingham borough of Gedling will have safety checks on their cars done here.
Every year, large numbers of taxis are inspected by Derby's council licensing officers and since 2013, of the 852 cabs spot-checked, 299 of them were decommissioned with immediate effect until the problems were rectified - representing 35% of all taxis tested.
But the Derby officers have been unable to inspect vehicles licensed by other councils such as Gedling Borough Council - which annually issue large numbers of licences - without an officer from that authority present.
A loophole in the law allows drivers with a hackney carriage licence, who can pick up fares on the street, to operate as private hire drivers anywhere in the country. Private hire drivers are only permitted to pick up passengers who have made a prior booking,
Councillors from Derby and Gedling have now agreed in principle to allow taxis that are licensed by the Nottinghamshire council to be inspected by Derby-based officers.
The move was prompted by a letter from councillor Baggy Shanker, city council cabinet member for regulatory services, inviting several authorities affected by this loophole to work together more closely.
The proposals are the latest in a series of measures due to be introduced to improve the regulation of taxi licensing in Derby, following recommendations made by the council's external auditors.
It is thought that between 50 and 80 drivers regularly operating in Derby hold licences from Gedling Borough Council.
Mr Shanker said: "I am delighted that we have reached this agreement. The recent taxi licensing consultation showed a clear public appetite for addressing concerns about the number of vehicles and drivers operating in Derby who are licensed elsewhere.
"Colleagues in Gedling have demonstrated a commitment to upholding high standards among their licensed drivers, wherever they operate."
Mr Shanker added: "The ability of Derby City Council licensing officers to inspect out-of-town vehicles and drivers will lead to higher standards and greater public confidence in the trade."
Mr Shanker's opposite number at Gedling Borough Council, councillor David Ellis, cabinet member for public protection, said: "We have taken significant steps in recent years to strengthen our taxi licensing procedures, including the introduction of a knowledge test and safeguarding training for drivers. We also know that a number of our existing licence holders predominantly operate in Derby.
"Our licensing officers already carry out regular joint inspections with colleagues in the city but the agreement we have reached will allow both authorities to invest their time and resources more effectively."
Last year, the Derby Telegraph revealed that almost half of the 2,800 private hire taxi drivers operating in Derby have not been cleared to work by the city council.
Figures obtained from other authorities show more than 1,300 cabbies have gained licences elsewhere, meaning they have not passed the city council's knowledge test with 254 registered as far afield as Rossendale in Lancashire.
But, since last February, any applications to Rossendale for a new hackney carriage vehicle licence where there is no intention to use the vehicle predominantly in that borough have been refused and anyone whose address is beyond a 30-mile radius of the town would not normally be granted a licence.
Derby City Council intends to introduce a points-based checking system for potential taxi licence holders from June to eliminate people with criminal records obtaining them but funding of almost £140,000 is needed to run it and this could mean higher licence fees, which drivers are opposed to.
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BRIDLINGTON
A family-run taxi firm that has been in operation for 25 years has had its licence revoked in the interests of public safety.
Q Cars, which labels itself as Bridlington's largest taxi and private hire firm, has had its licence revoked by East Riding Council.
The company, which apparently takes more than 5,000 bookings per week locally and nationally, is reportedly planning to appeal against the decision.
It has 21 days to lodge this appeal with the council.
A spokesman for East Riding Council said: "There has been concerns around the operation of a private hire business and so a decision has been made to revoke the private hire operators licence in the interest of public safety."
The decision made by the council will not affect drivers who can continue to operate under their own licences.
Q Cars has not responded to a request for comment.
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KIRKLEE'S DRIVER GETS 64 POINTS ON ONE COURT APPEARANCE
A Huddersfield man faces a two-year driving ban after being found guilty of driving a taxi without a valid licence.
Kirklees magistrates heard that Shahzad Akhtar, of Burfitts Road, Oakes, made 228 journeys after his licence expired, meaning his passengers would not be insured in the event of him having an accident. He was found guilty of driving a private hire vehicle without holding a valid private hire driving licence and driving passengers in a private hire vehicle without adequate insurance.
Prosecuting, Kirklees Council said that Akhtar carried out 228 jobs between March and May, 2016, after his licence had lapsed. The council licensing team gave evidence of eight separate specimen occasions when Akhtar drove without a valid private hire driver’s licence and without valid insurance.
He was found guilty of those offences and ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £520.
He also received eight penalty points on his driving licence for each insurance offence, resulting in 64 points which, under the totting up rules, results in him being disqualified from driving for two years.
Clr Cathy Scott, chairman of Kirklees Licensing and Safety Committee, said: “When individuals like this flout the rules, the Licensing Team won’t hesitate to use the full force of the law to protect the public and the reputation of our legitimate taxi and private hire drivers.”
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