facebook.
com/derbytelegraph
By Chris Harper
christopher.harper@reachplc.com
@chrisharperDT
Robbery, GBH and indecent assault
are just some of the convictions held by
taxi drivers that are licensed in South
Derbyshire, we can reveal.
One Freedom of Information request
found that 32 out of 273 private hire taxi
drivers, licensed by South Derbyshire
District Council in the past three years,
have criminal convictions.
A second Freedom of Information
request revealed the convictions held
by 22 of the 32 drivers.
These included robbery, indecent
assault and persistently soliciting a
woman for prostitution from a motor
vehicle.
The convictions of the other 10 driv-
ers, however, could not be disclosed as
they would lead to the identification of
the driver or the information is no
longer held on the council’s database.
The information also showed that
one particular driver had 10 previous
convictions, including burglary and
driving with no licence.
Some of these drivers would be una-
ble to get a licence from Derby City
Council, as some types of conviction
would bar them from acquiring one.
The district council’s website says
that it judges taxi drivers based on
whether the applicant is a “fit and
proper person, is medically fit and has
held a UK driving licence for at least 12
months”.
A spokesman from the authority said
it ensures all drivers are “sufficiently
vetted” before it grants a licence.
They said: “All applications are sub-
ject to an enhanced Disclosure and
Barring Service (DBS) check and
licensed drivers must be DBS-checked
annually.
“Any applicants or licence holders
with criminal convictions are brought
before our Licensing, Appeals Sub
Committee, which determines whether
What convictions do 22 drivers have?
Driver 1: Robbery; using threatening,
abusive or insulting words; battery.
Driver 2: Speeding; obstruction of a
police officer.
Driver 3: Obstructing an officer;
driving while disqualified; using a
vehicle while uninsured; breach of a
community order.
Driver 4: Failing to stop at a red
light.
Driver 5: Driving without due care
and attention.
Driver 6: Using threatening, abusive,
insulting words and affray.
Driver 7: Using threatening, abusive,
insulting words.
Driver 8: Indecent assault.
Driver 9: Theft from a vehicle;
fraudulently using registration plates;
no driving licence; no insurance; using
vehicle without excise licence;
burglary; theft; perjury; driving while
disqualified and breach of suspended
sentence.
Driver 10: Disqualification from
driving.
Driver 11: Burglary; theft, disorderly
behaviour or threatening/abusive/
insulting words.
 5
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018  DERBY TELEGRAPH
News
Burglary, GBH and
indecent assault:
crimes committed
by county cabbies
they are a fit and proper person to hold
a licence in line with the legislation and
our private hire licensing policy.
“In deciding whether a driver is con-
sidered to be fit and proper, the sub-
committee considers each case on its
merits, taking into account the nature
of the offence, the length of time since
conviction, the driver’s character and
other relevant information.
“Once a licence is granted, criminal
record checks are regularly undertaken
and all drivers are required to sign up to
the DBS online checking service so cer-
tificates are kept up to date.
“Our main priority is, and always will
be, to strike the necessary balance and
ensure the safety of the public is pro-
tected at all times.”
The Derby Telegraph previously
revealed how more than 200 taxi driv-
ers licensed in Derby have a criminal
conviction.
In July, a Freedom of Information
request found Derby City Council
allowed 215 drivers with previous con-
victions to hold either a private hire or
hackney carriage licence, which is
needed to operate a taxi in the city.
According to the request response,
the city council currently licenses 1,273
cabbies, which means that almost one
in six of them holds a criminal convic-
tion.
Driver 12: Persistently soliciting a
woman for prostitution.
Driver 13: Soliciting a woman for
prostitution.
Driver 14: Assault occasioning
actual bodily harm.
Driver 15: Harassment.
Driver 16: Assault.
Driver 17: Persistently soliciting a
woman for prostitution.
Driver 18: Theft; failing to produce
PCV driving licence; failing to produce
insurance, failure to produce test
certificate; making off without paying;
attempt theft and driving with excess
alcohol.
Driver 19: Driving while disqualified
and two counts of driving uninsured.
Driver 20: Using threatening or
abusive words; handling stolen goods;
GBH; assault occasioning actual
bodily harm; criminal damage; driving
with excess alcohol; racially
threatening, abusive or insulting
words; theft; and obstructing officer in
course of their duty.
Driver 21: Theft, obtaining property
by deception.
Driver 22: Theft.