Walsall taxi and PHV licensing set to start using refusals & revocations database for new applicants
Updated: Jun 6, 2020
Walsall Council are set to start using the National Register of Taxi Refusals and Revocations (NR3), which will enable appropriately authorised licensing staff to scrutinise all new private hire vehicle driver and hackney carriage driver applications and licence renewals to a higher degree.
It will also allow staff to enter details of all refusals and revocations made by Walsall Council onto the register for other licensing authorities to view.
The council’s licensing committee are due to discuss the final terms of the arrangement at a meeting being held on 10 June.
At the meeting it will be decided if:
committee members support the Licensing Services intention to use the National Register of Taxi Refusals and Revocations.
the Committee agree that the Licensing Service notifies the Private Hire and Hackney Carriage trade of the intention to use this register the start date and their rights.
In July 2018, the Local Government Association (LGA) launched the National Register of Taxi Refusals and Revocations of hackney carriage and private hire vehicle driver’s licences.
The NR3 has been developed to improve public safety and confidence in hackney carriage and private hire vehicle licensing.
In meeting documents seen by TaxiPoint, Walsall Council said: “There have been numerous high profile cases where drivers who have been refused licences, or had a licence revoked in one area, have gone to another area and received a licence in that area by failing to disclose their previous history.
”This undermines public safety, if there are legitimate reasons why a licence was refused or revoked, and damages confidence in the hackney carriage / PHV licensing regime and trade.
”This is why the initiative has been widely supported by a number of drivers and firms, as it will provide a mechanism for ensuring information about refusals and revocations can be shared between all licensing authorities in a safe and secure way.”
When a new application for a PHV driver's licence or hackney carriage vehicle driver's licence is received, Licensing Officers will log on to the Register and search it to see if the applicant’s details are listed.
If the details are listed, a request will be made to the licensing authority who refused or revoked the licence for further information to assist Walsall Council in determining whether the applicant or licence is fit and proper.
