Warwick District Council (WDC) conducted a series of private hire vehicle inspections, revealing a range of safety and legal issues, including one driver being breathalysed and three receiving traffic offence notices.

The operation, conducted in partnership with the DVSA and Warwickshire Police, aimed to ensure the safety and legality of PHVs in the district.

Out of 48 vehicles inspected, several were found to have serious faults. One vehicle was immediately prohibited after inspectors discovered exposed cords on two tyres, leading to a traffic offence notice for the driver. Another vehicle was prohibited due to tyre tread below the legal minimum and a defective brake light, also resulting in a traffic offence notice.

"One driver was also breathalysed after alcohol was found in the rear of the vehicle. The driver blew zero," reported the council.

Further inspections revealed a vehicle with defective brakes, and three others received delayed prohibition notices from the DVSA, requiring them to rectify issues and pass another MOT within 10 days.

Ten other vehicles were found with minor licensing infringements that will be followed up by licensing officers.

Additionally, vehicles equipped to carry wheelchair passengers were inspected to ensure both safety and driver competence in assisting wheelchair users.

The inspections will also lead to conduct points and referrals to a licensing and regulatory panel for some vehicle owners.

Cllr Jim Sinnott, portfolio holder for safer, healthier and active communities, emphasized the importance of the inspections.

"Taxi drivers play an important role in providing transport to those that need it, so it's vital that they keep their vehicles safe and legal, protecting both their passengers and the wider community," he stated.

"The council takes its licensing responsibilities seriously and will not hesitate to take action to guarantee the public's safety."

He also thanked the 48 drivers who attended the inspection, recognizing their cooperation in maintaining high safety standards.

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English councils are facing a severe financial strain due to the escalating costs of transporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with many warning the current system is "financially unsustainable."

The rapid increase in pupil transport expenses, particularly for taxi services, is placing immense pressure on local budgets, with some councils spending more on SEND transport than on road maintenance.

An  investigation by the Guardian revealed that of 43 councils surveyed, all but eight spent more on SEND pupil transport than their revenue roads budget. "The only way to deal with this is to put money into mainstream schools along with very clear accountability about what they should provide for Send pupils," a council source stated, highlighting the need for increased resources and workforce support.

One extreme example is Wakefield, which spends seven times more on SEND transport than road maintenance, and Norfolk spent over £40 million on SEND pupil transport last year.

The surge in costs is attributed to several factors, including a 25% increase in the number of children requiring transport since 2019, with 31,000 now travelling by taxi.

Councils are legally obligated to provide transport for SEND pupils living beyond a set distance from suitable schools. Additionally, the increasing number of parents securing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) has contributed to the financial burden.

"EHCPs were meant to make the system less adversarial but it’s done the opposite," a council source said, noting the "tension between parents and carers acting perfectly rationally versus councils with a very finite pot of resources."

Furthermore, school reforms introduced by former Education Secretary Michael Gove in 2014, which prioritise exam results, have reportedly made mainstream schools less inclusive, leading to more pupils requiring specialised transport.

"There has been a change. Before the election there was a lot of buck-passing, and now the Department for Education is treating it seriously. But there is always a risk it ends up in the ‘too difficult’ pile," another council source expressed.

The Department for Education (DfE) acknowledged the system's shortcomings, stating: "The Send system we’ve inherited has been failing to meet the needs of children and families for far too long, with a lack of early intervention and support in mainstream schools and unsustainable strain on local government finances."

The DfE cited £740 million in capital funding aimed at improving inclusivity in mainstream schools and promised further reforms. However, councils maintain that substantial additional funding is essential to address the crisis.

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James Moore's bid for a taxi driver's licence was rejected by North Ayrshire Council's licensing committee due to a prior conviction for driving under the influence of drugs at an alarmingly high level.

The decision, made on 5 March, stemmed from a police background check revealing Moore’s history of road traffic offences.

Sergeant David Markin informed the committee that Moore had been disqualified from driving for two years and fined £400 at Kilmarnock Sheriff Court in February 2022.

This followed an incident on 5 April of the previous year where Moore was found to have 800 micrograms per litre of benzoylecgonine in his blood, a metabolite of cocaine, far exceeding the legal limit of 50mcg per litre.

He was also convicted of driving with 55mcg per litre of cocaine in his blood, surpassing the 10mcg per litre limit. The offenCes occurred in the Smithstone Way area of Irvine.

Police Scotland representatives objected to Moore's application, deeming him not "a fit and proper person" to hold a taxi driver’s licence. They also pointed out that his sentencing date meant he was disqualified from driving when he applied, and had not been driving for the required year prior to the application.

Moore pleaded his case, stating: “I made a mistake in life and everyone is entitled to a second chance. I don’t drink anymore and certainly don’t take drugs. I have a second child on the way and would like a more sustainable job. I hold my hands up to everything I did and know I was out of order. I can only apologise.”

However, Councillor Christina Larsen moved to reject the application, emphasising the severity of Moore's offences.

"We have to consider the level you were over the limit in each case," she said. "Holding a taxi driver’s licence in North Ayrshire is a privilege and we have high expectations of our taxi drivers.”

The committee unanimously agreed with Cllr Larsen's motion, denying Moore’s application on the grounds that he was not a "fit and proper person" due to his past convictions.

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A Liverpool taxi driver, Daniel Albertina, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison after being caught filming a 16-year-old boy in a cinema toilet and subsequently found to be in possession of a disturbing collection of child abuse images and extreme pornography.

The 39-year-old’s “secret life” of depravity was exposed at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday 11 March.

The court heard that the teenager, attending Odeon Switch Island, noticed a mobile phone being held under the cubicle wall while he was using the toilet. 

“Following the incident, I didn't leave the house for a couple of weeks on my own,” the victim said in a statement read in court.

“I'm now concerned about using public toilets. It still knocks me sick knowing what this monster did to me. I feel like this was an invasion of privacy.”   

Prosecutor Paul Becker detailed how Albertina, identified as a Delta taxi driver, was apprehended after the boy reported the incident to cinema staff.

A subsequent police investigation revealed a trove of incriminating evidence on his devices. This included 165 indecent images of children, videos of a teenage girl showering, and extreme pornographic images depicting bestiality.

Albertina admitted to “offences of voyeurism over six weeks on about six occasions” at the cinema, telling detectives he had “an attraction to young males and females.”

He pleaded guilty to two counts of voyeurism, four charges of possession of indecent images of children, nine offences of making indecent images, and four matters of possession of extreme pornographic images.   

Judge Andrew Menary KC condemned Albertina’s “disgraceful, appalling catalogue of conduct,” stating: “This is outrageous conduct. It is not often that this court is shocked. Sadly, we have seen it all. But these are really bad images of their type.”

The judge added: "This was not the first time that you had done this. It is clear from what you said to the police that you had got into the habit, having used the toilet after dropping off a customer and realised that it was possible for you to go into the toilets and use your telephone to take a picture or record what was happening in the adjacent cubicle."

In addition to the prison sentence, Albertina received a five-year restraining order, a ten-year sexual harm prevention order, and will be required to register as a sex offender for ten years.

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Taxi drivers in Lewes and Eastbourne are facing a potential mass exodus as newly implemented licensing fees, some soaring by 66%, threaten to cripple their livelihoods.

The hackney fleet is already in decline with drivers now numbering just 89, compared to the influx of private hire drivers, primarily due to services such as Uber.

The Unite union, representing drivers in the region, warns that the drastic increases, imposed by Lewes District Council and Eastbourne Borough Council, could force many to abandon the industry.

James Kiernan, a veteran Lewes taxi driver and union representative, expressed deep concern over the financial strain.

"We've certainly got a handful of drivers that I know of who are already looking for work before their licences run out," he stated, highlighting the immediate impact of the new charges.

The decision to make the huge increases, made at a full council meeting on 4 March, will see the cost of a three-year hackney carriage/private hire/dual driver’s licence rise to £472.50 (from £315) sparking outrage among drivers already burdened by rising costs.

An annual hackney/private hire vehicle licence will cost £308 (from £205), while fees for various tests will also increase drastically, such as the English language test retake fee which has surged by 66%, from £68.25 to £113.20.

Adding to the drivers' frustration is the fact that customer fares have remained stagnant since 2021. "Drivers applied to the councils for a fare increase last summer but said they were still waiting for the council to launch a public consultation into any proposed changes," Kiernan explained.

This disparity between rising costs and frozen fares is exacerbating the financial burden on drivers.

The councils, in a joint statement, defended the increases, citing "budget pressures related to taxis in our roles as licensing authorities, and to cover the increased operational costs associated with CCTV data control."

They also highlighted the need to "fund extra resources to reduce a backlog in new applications, ensuring a more efficient service for the future" specifically in Lewes District.

However, Kiernan remains sceptical, demanding transparency and accountability. "The department needs to explain itself as to why it costs so much to run that department, because it's a lot of money. We would like to see it audited," he asserted.

He also raised concerns about the impact on vulnerable residents, warning: "Vulnerable people won't be able to get a taxi, won't be able to get their lifts to the shops, to the town, to stations."

The drivers also feel particularly hard hit as they recently had to spend approximately £700 to install mandatory CCTV in their vehicles. The rapid succession of large cost increases, without any compensation, is pushing many to the brink.

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