Call Sign February 2012
Page 6
Jery's
World
CRB ENHANCED
Sorry old boy, but I don't know what this Euro V is. I wonder if your Euro 0.5 certificate will be ok because 1959 was a good year for taxis...
CHECKS BACK
Lynne
Featherstone
Addy Lee
driver guilty of
In May the Criminal Records Bureau contacted TfL and stated that
they should no longer submit enhanced CRB checks for taxi and
manslaughter
private hire drivers. The CRB insisted that enhanced checks should
only be made on people who work with vulnerable adults and
children (as defined by legislation ie teachers, social workers, etc).
Since 2002, TfL have required applicants for a taxi or PH licence to undergo an
Addison Lee driver Imran Raja's four pas-
sengers screamed at the driver that he
enhanced CRB check. TfL and the Mayor of London, along with the taxi trade and oth-
had just run over a pedestrian having also
ers, lobbied the Government to amend existing legislation to allow licensing authorities
felt the bump as the minicab drove over
across the UK to have access to information disclosed in enhanced CRB checks.
58-year old homeless man, Robin Scott.
Now Home Office Minster Lynne Featherstone has announced the continua-
Scott had splashed some drink over the
tion of enhanced checks for taxi drivers and private hire vehicles. In a statement,
car before also banging on the wind-
she said:
screen. Raja was said to have knocked Mr
"Having carefully considered representations and consulted representatives of the sec-
Scott over and driven over the body, the
tor, we have decided that all taxi and private hire drivers should be entitled to enhanced
Old Bailey heard, although the driver had
criminal records checks and that licensing authorities will additionally be entitled to check
insisted he was unaware of hitting anyone
whether any applicant is barred from work with children or vulnerable adults under the
and that he wouldn't have known had his
Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act 2006.
passengers not screamed.
Taking account of the fact that many drivers are self-employed, criminal records appli-
The passengers got out of the car and
cations may be made through the appropriate licensing authority. The decision on
saw the man lying in the road with severe
whether to grant a licence will remain a matter for the licensing authority. This change
head injuries that he later died from.
Raja, from Ilford, was found guilty of
clarifies the law and regularises practice which has grown up over many years in the taxi
manslaughter and jailed for three years
sector. Changes will be made by secondary legislation as soon as practicable."
and nine months. The court accepted that
The result for the cab trade is that the possibility of PH drivers creeping in with just a
he did not intend to cause serious harm.
standard CRB check has been removed and an enhanced check will now be required...
