St Helens Council become the latest authority to sign up to new taxi and private hire database

St Helens Council have revealed that anybody driving a taxi or private hire vehicle will have to have their details put onto a national database in a bid to strengthen passenger security.

Drivers will be placed on a new National Register of Taxi Licence Refusals and Revocations, with the register being hosted by the National Anti-Fraud Network.

The intention is to prevent drivers who have had a taxi or private hire driver’s licence revoked or an application for one refused, going to another authority to dishonestly secure a licence by failing to disclose their previous licensing history.

Instances of drivers doing this in the past has undermined public confidence in the hackney and private hire trade and licensing authorities, according to a report produced by St Helens council. The data-sharing initiative provides a mechanism for licensing authorities to share details of individuals who have had a taxi or private hire driver’s licence revoked or an application for one refused. The development of the database has been welcomed by all sections of the taxi trade, safety groups and charities, the Department for Transport and by licensing authorities. According to the Council, the information recorded on the database, which went live in 2018, will include: name, date of birth, address and contact details, national insurance number, driving licence number and decision taken. The information will be retained for a period of 25 years, from the point of decision to either agree or refuse a licence.

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