Taxi drivers will have to sit a ‘safeguarding’ exam every 2 years under new rules designed to boost public safety.
The Isle of Wight Council already carries out in-house safeguarding training for drivers, who must have an enhanced DBS check as part of the policy that has been in place since 2016.
Under the new taxi licensing policy approved by the Council’s Cabinet on Thursday, drivers will be required to undergo regular training including sitting a safeguarding exam every 2 years.
Training includes spotting and reporting safeguarding issues, such as trafficking and abuse of any kind and ‘County Lines’ activity, where illegal drugs are transported from one area to another, usually by children or vulnerable people who are coerced into it by gangs.
Councillor Ian Stephen, Cabinet lead for community protection, said:
“The main aim of the taxi licensing policy is public safety and firming up safeguarding training, which already takes place, in this policy.
“These moves will make sure vulnerable and at-risk members of the public continue to be looked after safely and any concerns raised with the appropriate agency.”
The move follows the publication of a central set of policies and standards by the government to help regulate the taxi and private hire sector across all local authorities covering increased criminal checks on licensed drivers, operators and dispatch staff and extra standards to help ensure driver, vehicle and passenger safety.
Another change to the taxi policy relates to the maximum age of cars. Under the previous rules, the maximum age of a car when applying for a new licence was 3 years. This has now been extended to up to 5 years for electric vehicles, in a bid to encourage cleaner, greener forms of taxi transport.
The council carried out a consultation with local taxi firms last year.
h ow much is this going to cost the taxis and what about uber and deliveroo drivers
Island Taxi prices are too expensive
Sad they do not retest all; drivers at least every ten years !! Would make the roads even safer…
Will electric vehicles last 5 years????
Yes? They are significantly more reliable than petrol or diesel vehicles and batteries in models after c. 2012 do not degrade significantly. You can find plenty of 10 year old electric vehicles with full battery health on any used car website.
The safeguarding training should also be compulsory to all council staff including civil enforcement officers (patrolling with cameras outside schools) and librarians also working within a close proximity of children.
I think an Enhanced DBS would be better than some in house training for those you mentioned, as it covers a criminal record check. It would be a good idea that all Councillors had to pass the Enhanced DBS, as it is all it takes is for people to vote them in to office.
the taxi drivers are there to take you from point a to b – it is the police forces job to do the safeguarding of society.
perhaps these idiots at the council will regret the decision when drivers quit and get different jobs.
Totally agree. Taxi drivers are already expected to deal with way too much nonsense for very little profit.
the council are interfering – can they not see that drivers will see this as a pointless tick box exercise and then completely ignore everything on the course and continue to “see nothing, apart from the road and traffic ahead” whilst driving each fare.
Taxi drivers and Private Hire Drivers on the Island already have an Enhanced DBS, other unlicensed new concept Company’s don’t. Anything else would be over kill, but anything that helps the safety of the public must be welcomed, though I’m guessing the taxi drivers will be charged for this test, and as we know all costs in business have to be covered. For the safety of the public one of things needed is a clamp down on rouge unlicensed cars operating as Taxi’s, this should be a proactive action, at weekends and during festivals.
The council have no right to poke its unwanted nose in the freedom of individuals rights to give and receive lifts from people in exchange for a bit of petrol money.
this is not stalinist russia – if i decide to offer someone a lift in exchange for some cash to cover petrol – that is my right to choose and not the business of an interfering jobsworth at the council that feels the need to ingratiate itself into every aspect of my life.
If your not insured you could loose your house if you own it, because for the price of a bit of petrol money as you call it, your passengers could take you to the cleaners…..your existing insurance would not cover you for public hire, is it worth the risk???
drivel – letting you know..
so, you give a lift to a mate to the shops for a bit of petrol money, you think that is an issue
someone is stranded and thumbs a lift and offers a few quid for petrol money -should you leave them stranded.
and an individual has every right to do what they want – it is a free country.
Your so so ignorant, if anyone is offered a lift for reward and the insurance companies are informed, they can refuse cover….FACT…
Even a tire not having the right pressure or tread can invalidate your insurance, if it’s proven your car has anything wrong with it, your insurance can be refused….don’t take it for granted just because you pay insurance…
It won’t be a free country for long, what with big brother monitoring your Evey move, and getting taxi drivers to spy on you and being forced to become police informers.
It reminds me of the old East Germany.
What has happened to the civil rights movement in this country, I presume that they are to busy tearing down statues.
It is a shame we do not have Uber taxis here.
They would shake up the monopoly of the overcharging island taxi firms.
I use them regularly on the mainland and they are great.
Yeah let’s kill another home grown industry because you don’t want to pay an extra couple of quid. Let’s just import migrant workers and get them signed up for uber so they can be paid less.
I know it could be extremely risky for a taxi driver to report a drug dealer, it could cost them their lives…..its not right to put taxi drivers in that position.