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Northern Ireland reviews how taxi convictions are reported to licensing authorities
Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins says officials are working with police, courts and AccessNI to reduce delays that can leave taxi licence holders operating after serious convictions.
Northern Ireland’s Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has said there is no timetable yet for changes to how criminal convictions are reported to taxi licensing authorities, as officials examine ways to close gaps in the current process.
The issue was raised by MLA William Wilson during topical questions at the Northern Ireland Assembly. He asked when work to improve the arrangements would conclude, citing cases in which taxi drivers convicted of serious offences had retained their licences for a significant period.
Kimmins said officials were engaging with AccessNI, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Courts and Tribunals Service to consider improvements to reporting mechanisms. The aim, she said, was to “minimise delays between convictions being recorded and licence renewals”.
Kimmins said: “People getting into a taxi trust that they will get home safely or get safely to wherever they are going. It is something that I take seriously, particularly because gaps have been identified. Officials are engaging with key stakeholders including AccessNI, the PSNI and the Courts and Tribunals Service to explore potential improvements to reporting mechanisms in order to minimise delays between convictions being recorded and licence renewals.
“I have not set a time frame for that, but I am happy to keep the Member informed, because I know that the issue is of particular interest to him. We really need to close the gaps to ensure that people can have full confidence that they are getting into a taxi with someone of the character that they would expect.”
Wilson noted that taxi drivers regularly carry vulnerable passengers, including children and people with additional needs. He also asked whether the Department had considered a proposal for CCTV in taxis, which he said had been raised by the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime.
Kimmins said the proposal had not yet been put to her but that she was willing to ask officials to assess what it would involve. She also said Northern Ireland’s taxi services were, “on the whole”, reputable and safe, and stressed the need to protect both passengers and drivers.
The exchange did not set out what changes to conviction reporting might be adopted, or whether CCTV would be taken forward. The Department’s work with partner agencies is continuing, with no implementation timetable announced.
