Taxi drivers in Powys will be subject to background checks every six months.
At a meeting of the Democratic Services committee on Monday, April 22, councillors received a report which said that tweaks were needed to the Powys County Council constitution.
The council’s head of legal and democratic services, Clive Pinney explained that the changes are needed as subscribing to the DBS service is a new requirement for licensed drivers to comply with guidance issued by the Welsh Government and the UK DfT.
According to the Shropshire Star, an annual subscription to the UK Government’s DBS Update service costs £13.
Mr Pinney explained that he considered the change to the Powys constitution to be a “minor amendment”. This means that it doesn’t need to go before all councillors at a council meeting to be ratified.
If the drivers don’t follow the new six monthly DBS requirement the constitutional change would allow the “relevant” head of service to have the ability to sub-delegate responsibility to the relevant council officer to suspend the hackney/PHV licence.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Claire Hall asked for confirmation that the driver would need to subscribe to the DBS update service which allows certificates to be checked online or “demonstrate” in another way that their DBS has is up to date.
Mr Pinney confirmed she was correct and that this is a new requirement.
Independents for Powys Councillor Gareth E Jones asked why the Welsh Government had brought in the guidance?
Mr Pinney said: “It’s to safeguarding members of the public who use taxis.”
He added that the other licensing requirements would continue on a three yearly basis.
Earlier this month increases to two of three types of taxi licences came into force.
The fees for 2024/2025 which don’t include the cost for DBS checks are:
Hackney carriage private hire (1 year): £150 going up from £146 this year.
Driver licence (3 years): £284 up from £270.50 this year.
Private Hire Operators (5 years): £355 down from £358 this year.
Chorley businesses are working together on a new project to support the borough’s homeless - which will see taxi drivers deliver takeaways to the needy.
North Yorkshire Police roads policing officers worked alongside North Yorkshire Council's taxi licensing enforcement staff.
Two women racially abused a taxi driver during a late-night journey across Carlisle after he told them they should not eat and drink in his cab.
Warwickshire Police stopped and checked 40 taxi drivers during a joint operation with City of Wolverhampton Council’s taxi compliance officers.
Edinburgh black cab drivers have criticised the council after being asked to pay to have planters on The Royal Mile moved for their annual outing for vulnerable children.
A total of 19 taxis have been stopped in and around Cambridge in a crackdown on vehicle safety and parking on double yellow lines.
London cabbie Farid Cheheb, 60, fatally injured Irish barman Shane Scannell, 44, who died in hospital four days later surrounded by his devastated family.
Sam Bradley’s actions left the victim with a broken leg and broken ankle, said Sarah Tyrer, prosecuting.
New data has confirmed the city as the country's private hire vehicle capital - with a licensing rate a staggering 500 per cent higher than the second-placed location.
The repetitive action of pressing the car accelerator pedal activates certain neural pathways that promote relaxation and reduce stress levels.