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Council pressed for answers after taxi driver allegedly watched YouTube during school transport journey
Flintshire County Council is facing calls to explain its school transport safeguards after footage emerged that allegedly shows a taxi driver watching YouTube while driving a child with additional learning needs.
The concern was raised publicly by the Flintshire Liberal Democrats, which said it had been sent a video recorded during a school journey. An accompanying video appears to show a mobile phone displaying video content inside the vehicle.
Councillor Andrew Parkhurst said: “I have been sent a shocking video. It appears to show a Flintshire taxi driver watching YouTube while driving a vulnerable child with additional learning needs to school.”
He added: “This is not safe. This is not acceptable. Children must be protected.”
Parkhurst said he had asked the council how the alleged incident was allowed to happen and what measures would be introduced in response. According to his statement, the authority said there was no indication that such behaviour occurred frequently.
The councillor has now appealed for families to report other concerning experiences involving school transport, saying he wanted to establish whether the incident was isolated. He argued that the alleged behaviour may not have come to light had the child not recorded it.
The case is likely to place attention on the monitoring of council-contracted school transport services, including the standards expected of taxi and private hire drivers carrying vulnerable passengers. Local authorities commonly contract licensed vehicles and operators to provide home-to-school transport, particularly for children with special educational needs or disabilities.
It remains unclear whether the driver has been identified, suspended or referred to the relevant licensing authority or police. No details have been provided about when the footage was recorded, the operator involved or whether a formal investigation is under way.
