Preston City Council sign up to the National Register of Taxi and Private Hire Licence Revocations a

Preston City Council are the latest licensing authority that has signed up to the National Register of Taxi and Private Hire Licence Revocations and Refusals (NR3) in a bid to improve safety and standards in the industry. 

The purpose of the National Register of Taxi and Private Hire Licence Revocations and Refusals is to prevent drivers from submitting licence applications while failing to declare historical licence revocations or application refusals in other parts of the country.

The council’s licensing officers now check the Register to see if driver applicants have either had a licence with another authority revoked or a licence application refused, which will assist them in making a determination on their application to Preston. Officers will also update the Register with details of driver applicants who are refused a licence and details of former licensed drivers who have had their licence revoked in Preston. Councillor Peter Moss, Deputy Leader and Cabinet member for planning and regulation, said: “I welcome this excellent initiative that was commissioned by the Local Government Association, to allow the sharing of information between licensing authorities. 

"It strengthens our criteria for assessing taxi driver applicants and the monitoring of existing licensed drivers, to ensure passengers are being kept safe can have confidence that their driver is both professional and competent. “For law-abiding taxi drivers, nothing changes as declaring your licensing history has always been a requirement. It’s only those who fraudulently submit inaccurate information that need to worry. “As a licensing authority, public safety will always remain a priority and I believe the integrity of taxi and private hire drivers in Preston will be protected by this additional measure. 

"I believe only six of the 14 Lancashire licensing authorities have signed up to the Register and I do hope the remaining ones do so as a priority.” 

Image (Remixed): Source; Geograph - Preston City Council 

Image: Author: Stephen Richards