We've just got over a nightmare weekend where the Taxi trade and many other businesses found London closed. Emergency vehicles couldn't get to patients, people couldn't get to elderly relatives to check if they had eaten or were ok and farmers in Surrey complained they couldn't get about to feed live stock.
Now we are hearing that drivers are regularly being stopped from working, because of hold ups getting CRB checks returned.
Have you had a problem renewing your ‘Bill’ this year?
It has been bought to our attention that Licensed Taxi Drivers are being denied their right to work.
One driver filled in his application form on the 6th of june, had it checked at the Post Office and returned it. When the licence expired on the 23rd June 2013 he contacted LTPH for a temporary licence but was informed that he couldn't work, until the level 4 Police CRB check has been processed.
He was also informed that no more temporary licences are being issued under new government orders.
Again we hear the same excuse "it's not our fraught, there's nothing we can do".
Again we hear the same excuse "it's not our fraught, there's nothing we can do".
It appears that a number of drivers have found themselves in this position.
This type of consistent poor performance is unacceptable from our licensing authority.
The solution is really quite simple, LTPH need to send out renewal packs earlier, giving plenty of time to accommodate any delays that might occur with the agency involved.
Surely it is the management's responsibility to make sure the process they use to renew bills is as efficient as possible. If the people employed to do this fail, then they need to be replaced, as it is costing hard working drivers their livelihoods and that's just not acceptable.
Make sure you belong to a reliable union or representative org.
It's at times like this, that it's imperative you belong to a good trade org, who will take up the issue with LTPH on your behalf.
It is not however, a good idea to carry on working with an expired license, as you could be prosecuted for being unlicensed and lose your bill completely.
If you have to stop working because of this poor performance from the agencies involved, you may have an extremely good case for compensation.
There's is an old saying that if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Obviously no one at TfL or LTPH have heard that one.