Many taxi drivers have been able to obtain licenses despite being convicted of violent offences, a charity has found.
Data obtained following a Freedom of Information (FOI) request reveals that drivers convicted, including for violent crimes such as assault, battery and harassment, have consistently obtained licenses even if the licensing authorities are aware of the violations they have committed.
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a leading anti-stalking and harassment charity which uncovered the figures, warned that women were at risk when sharing cars with drivers with a history of violence, and urged ministers to revise the law.
The researchers, who received responses from 28 local authorities, estimated that 90 licenses were issued to drivers convicted of violent offences, while a further 68 were granted to drivers with various convictions relating to the traffic, driving or a vehicle, such as drunk driving and careless driving. .
The mother and brother of Sian O’Callaghan – who was killed by Christopher Halliwell after getting into his taxi as he left a nightclub in Swindon in 2011 – said The Independent about their “devastating” loss.
Halliwell is serving a life sentence for the murders of Ms O’Callaghan, 22, in March 2011, and Becky Godden, a 20-year-old sex worker, in January 2003.
It’s always a challenge. The problem is that we never fully recover from what happened and the feeling of loss.
Liam O’Callaghan
Research by YouGov and the Suzy Lamplugh Trust found that three in ten of more than 4,200 adults surveyed do not feel safe when using a taxi – with seven in ten saying they would feel less unsafe if the law was amended so that drivers with a history of aggressive or abusive behavior cannot obtain licenses.
Elaine Pickford, Ms O’Callaghan’s mother, recalled the “devastating” moment when she was told her daughter’s body had been found.
“13 years later, the more time passes for me personally, the more I realize that she didn’t live and where she would be now if she had – what a life she would have had,” she added.
Recalling the time her daughter was missing, she said: “Most of us didn’t sleep or didn’t sleep for very short periods here and there. And it was such a fast pace.
“Realistically, you’re running with everything you can do, and it’s hard to put into words what it’s like, because for everyone it’s a little different, I guess. You’re thrown into complete and utter chaos and you’re just getting through each minute as best you can.
Sian’s brother Liam O’Callaghan said: “It’s always a challenge. The problem is that we never fully recover from what happened and the feeling of loss. But you just have to build around it.”
Ms Pickford and Mr O’Callaghan helped campaign for the Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles Act 2022, which led to better data sharing between local authorities on drivers.
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust has called on the Government to urgently bring in legislation setting minimum national standards for driving licenses and regulating both drivers and professions such as teaching so that background checks are tougher.
Researchers have warned that it is difficult to properly grasp the scale of the problem because licensing authorities do not tell them how many of their currently licensed drivers have been convicted and for what offenses.
“You get into a vehicle with a stranger, knowing nothing about their background,” said Saskia Garner, of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. The Independent. “And they can lock you up and take you wherever they want.”
Of Ms O’Callaghan’s murder, she added: “Sian got into that vehicle doing what every woman is told to do, which is: ‘Take a taxi home, don’t walk on a dark road.
She said current rules allow individual authorities to form their own opinion on what constitutes a safe driver.
“Since drivers can go anywhere in the country, get a license and then go to work in a completely different location, you can’t be sure that a driver has been properly checked,” Ms O said. ‘Callaghan.
“If the checks are the same for every driver, people will be reassured that the highest standards are applied regardless of which driver they are with.”
You get into a vehicle with a stranger without knowing anything about his past. And they can lock you up and take you wherever they want.
Saskia Garner
Jim Button, president of the Institute of Licensing, said: “There is no doubt that the standards applied by licensing authorities to determine whether a person is safe and suitable to become a taxi driver vary enormously across the country. England and Wales.
“The Institute of Licensing supports calls for legislation in this area. In the meantime, it encourages all licensing authorities to adopt the guidelines published by the Institute of Licensing.
“It is essential that the history of concerning behavior of applicants and licensees is taken into account by licensing authorities: they must have a clear policy detailing the crimes and behaviors that will result in the refusal or revocation of the license , and this must be respected.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said “passenger safety is the top priority”, adding that drivers in England already have to undergo the “highest level background checks”.
The representative added: “Before deciding whether to issue a license, authorities must consult a national database that records whether a person has had a license refused, suspended or revoked. We are also currently considering other options to improve security around taxi licensing.
