Taxi licence holders convicted of serious offences raised in Assembly debate

Concerns about convicted taxi drivers retaining their licences for significant periods after being found guilty of serious offences were raised during a session of oral questions in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 13 October.

During questions to the Department for Infrastructure, Gareth Wilson MLA asked Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins about arrangements for identifying and acting on convictions involving taxi licence holders. He said he had concerns about cases in which licensed drivers convicted of serious offences had continued to hold their licences for a considerable time and sought an update on work being undertaken to improve the process.

Responding, Liz Kimmins acknowledged the importance of the issue and said passengers must be able to trust that they will be transported safely. She confirmed that officials are working with AccessNI, the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Northern Ireland Courts and Tribunals Service to explore improvements to reporting arrangements and reduce delays between convictions being recorded and licensing authorities becoming aware of them.

The Minister said that gaps in existing processes had been identified and stressed the need to ensure public confidence in the taxi licensing system. While no timetable has been set for completing the work, she said she would keep the Assembly informed of progress.

The discussion also touched on the possibility of installing CCTV in licensed taxis. Wilson noted that the Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime had raised the proposal with the Department and asked whether it was under consideration. The Minister said the suggestion had not yet come directly to her attention but that she would ask officials to examine what such a proposal might involve.