Passenger QR codes will be used to monitor whether taxi drivers should hold a licence says Council
Updated: Oct 31, 2021
A new QR code has been rolled out across taxis in Stafford Borough to help people give feedback to the local council, which will be used to monitor whether a driver is fit-and-proper to hold a licence.
A sticker with the code will be displayed inside taxi and private hire vehicles that are licensed in the borough with customers able to share comments, compliments, or complaints using their phones.
The new QR code is part of changes to Stafford Borough Council’s licensing policy to implement the Department for Transport (DFT) Statutory Taxi and Private Hire vehicle standards. The aim is to have a consistent standard and better regulation of the sector.
Councillor Jonathan Price, Cabinet Member for Environment, said: “We get some great feedback from customers and it’s good to hear how the trade goes that extra mile to help passengers.
“We want to make sure that passengers of taxis and private hire vehicles receive the best service, especially as one of the first experiences a visitor may have of the borough is with our licensed trade - picking up customers from railway stations for example.
“We have introduced a compliment, comment, complaint sticker to be displayed on the rear, side windows of each licensed vehicle which will be issued to all drivers. This contains a QR code which puts a customer through to the appropriate form for reporting purposes.”
He added that the feedback would also help assess whether a driver was suitable to have a licence.
The new measures were brought in following consultation with members of the local Hackney Carriage and private hire trade, Stafford and District Access Group, police, and Staffordshire County Council earlier this year.
