LGA repeats warnings over minicab licensing changes in Deregulation Bill

The Local Government Association has repeated its warnings over the likely impact of changes in the Deregulation Bill affecting minicab licensing, which it claims could endanger lives.

The Bill has reached the second day of the report stage in Parliament.

The LGA said: “Currently minicab users can travel safely in the knowledge that their driver will have been through a rigorous council vetting process including criminal records and medical history checks.

“Under new government proposals, licensed drivers will be able to allow other drivers to use their vehicle when off duty without any checks being carried out. This means that anyone with a criminal background such as alleged sexual assaults, rapes, terrorist activity drug dealing and organised crime, could exploit the system and pick up passengers and the council isn’t able to uphold public safety.”

The LGA also predicted that dangerous minicab drivers would be able to more easily challenge reviews of their licences following traffic offences. “This is because they could more easily claim another driver was responsible.”

Cllr Tony Page, the Association’s licensing spokesman, said: “Councils fought hard for the reinstatement of enhanced criminal records checks for taxi and private hire drivers and these irresponsible plans threaten to undermine that progress and remove this vital protection for passengers.”

He added: “The consequences for someone entering a vehicle marked for hire where the driver has not been properly licensed and vetted by the council can be devastating – we should not increase the chances of that happening.

“Under the proposals, councils will also find it more difficult to revoke licences from reckless drivers who repeatedly put passengers at risk by driving dangerously.”