Banned taxi drivers in Weston-super-Mare are using licence loophole, says council

Banned taxi drivers from Weston-super-Mare are using a loophole to get their licence, according to councillors.

Weston-super-Mare councillors have warned that banned taxi drivers have been getting their licences in Wolverhampton instead, and then returning to the town for work.

According to law, taxi drivers can technically be licensed in any local authority - regardless of where the drivers live or plan to work.

North Somerset Councillor Mike Solomon said: “We’ve seen a lot of complaints recently that anybody who needs a taxi licence that can’t get one from our council because we are very stringent in our tests, can apply to Wolverhampton and very easily get that licence.”

Weston-super-Mare councillor Catherine Gibbons said: “When I was in Liverpool recently at a conference, it was a major complaint amongst taxi drivers there that half their taxis are licensed in Wolverhampton as well.”

A spokesperson for the City of Wolverhampton Council has said they have "never actively encouraged applications from drivers outside the city".

They said: "Existing legislation requires that if an application is submitted and requirements are met, then the application must be granted. There is no lawful basis to refuse an application from someone who lives somewhere else in the country."

The council said they do not gain financially from issuing licenses, and that its taxi driver training program had "some of the highest standards in the country" with DBS checks on taxi drivers performed by the council every day.

The council spokesperson said: "There is no evidence to suggest any taxi drivers have had their license revoked by North Somerset. We have spoken with North Somerset council and confirmed a single case involving a driver who was licensed by both councils.

“In August 2023, the driver was found guilty of driving without due care and attention.

"After immediately informing City of Wolverhampton Council of the offence, he was called to a hearing before a licensing manager. At the hearing he was ordered to complete a training programme and pass a further driving test to retain his license.

“The driver did not attend a hearing held by North Somerset Council where his licence was revoked in his absence. Had the driver not attended the hearing in Wolverhampton, the council would have revoked his licence.”

Credit: Local Democracy Reporting Service / John Wimperis