Making private hire services more accessible to disabled people

A good practice guide for Private Hire Vehicle operators and drivers

The personal security of passengers

Checking the integrity of drivers

It is important to carry out checks with the Criminal Records Bureau. These checks are called Disclosures, and there are two types that a Licensing Authority can request drivers to undertake. The Standard Disclosure contains details of all convictions held on the Police National Computer (PNC), including current and 'spent' convictions, as well as details of any cautions, reprimands or final warnings. An Enhanced Disclosure is for posts which involve a far greater degree of contact with children or vulnerable adults, such as a teacher, scout or guide leader. In addition to the content of a Standard Disclosure, Enhanced Disclosures involve an extra level of checking with local police force records. In Northern Ireland applicants for both taxi/PHV driver and vehicle licences have to satisfy the licensing authority as to their good repute. An integral part of this process is the checking of applicant details with the Police Service of Northern Ireland records.

The London Private Hire Car Association grades companies using an ISO9001 accredited process which uses a rating scale from one to five stars. All graded companies must meet mandatory requirements, which include the keeping of drivers' photographs on file and the wearing of identification giving details of the driver and the company. The grading is based on examination of the premises of the operator, the booking systems, customer care / complaints procedures and the training and development of staff.

Making the passenger feel safe

First-time callers might ask to be 'phoned back, for reassurance; if this is the case, then the call handler should be prepared to do this, if asked. Ideally, female customers should be given the option of having a female driver. For example, Ladycabs (based in North London) is a PHV service run by women which employs mainly women drivers.

Another way of addressing the security of passengers and drivers is to install CCTV cameras in vehicles, a measure that has been taken by one particular PHV firm. 49ers Taxi and Private Hire, which operates PHVs in Luton, is in the process of installing CCTV in all of its vehicles, having trialed the equipment in two of them. The system is based on digital imaging, and is robust and maintenance-free. There is no prospect of infringing the public's civil rights, since the digital images captured can only be accessed using software that is only available to the relevant Local Authority Licensing Office and the Police. Unlike video images, still digital images are tamper-proof, so are admissible as evidence in a Court of Law.

It is important that these systems should be accompanied by in-vehicle signage that informs passengers that cameras have been installed for both their, and the driver's, protection.

Published: 03 December 2003

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