A taxi driver who was struggling to pay his bills and put food on the table said he, and thousands of others across the country, are at their "wits end".
Back in 2020, some taxi drivers were forced to get an additional job during the lockdown due to a lack of work. But despite a difficult two years, they say things are still not looking up as they find themselves in further financial hardship due to a system that is "not fit for purpose".
Shaun Ellis has held his licence for over 30 years and he said he has not experienced a more difficult time than this. Despite paying annually for an automatic DBS renewal, Shaun said he was informed in February of this year that his certificate had in fact been cancelled back in October 2019.
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He had not been aware of this cancellation and was charged a further £43 to renew his certificate, which could take up to 60 days to come through, meaning he could not work in this time. He told the ECHO that if a better system was in place, this would not have been an issue.
He said: "I haven’t paid my mortgage, my utility bills, I can’t feed my two children, I am at my wits end and do not know which way to turn as I’m now in financial difficulty. This is on top of the previous two years under covid, not earning any money."
Shaun said there had been an error which meant a drafted letter was not sent out to him informing him of the cancellation back in 2019. Because of this, Wirral Council were unable to renew his badge, therefore putting him out of work until the issue was resolved.
However, he said different councils in Merseyside have different policies meaning drivers in different areas are at a 'disadvantage'. He said this is happening to private taxi drivers throughout the country and due to being unable to work for a time in February, he has been unable to pay his mortgage.
He said: "It's putting people on the streets. I was one of the lucky ones, I do the automatic service update so the annual payment comes out every January but now this has happened. It's mind-blowing and you never get any answers. Back in 2020 I was working 12-hours for £40. As a taxi driver you had to earn £75 a day to breakeven.
"I had to keep going out and during the first few months of lockdown I had to get another job at Asda because I was earning nothing. I've got two kids here and when you're self employed it's hard work. But it's like the government is trying to claw back the money it has lost during covid."
He added the postal delays due to the covid pandemic also do not help, adding that an online service would be useful to keep people informed as soon as possible. He said: "Something is falling down somewhere. My DBS certificate ran out in 2019 and I wasn't told about it, but the annual payment was still taken out. A letter was drafted on my account but never sent out to me."
He added: "This is a not fit for purpose service, which is affecting thousands of drivers up and down the country, I can not claim anything as my wife works part time and I’m not eligible for any benefits. The incompetence is killing our trade."
Paul Quigley has been a taxi driver since 2008 and he said he too has been out of work due to not being able to get his renewal. He said: "Other councils operate a different policy, they renew the badge and then apply for the DBS but Wirral doesn't work that way. How can different councils have different rules?
"There's no consistency. I should be able to sign a declaration form saying there's no changes to my DBS and if it turned out I was lying, have my licence revoked. But there's no trust. When the council isn't in your corner it makes things difficult. I don't have a mortgage but I still have financial commitments. Some drivers are in a worse position than I am."
A spokesperson for the Disclosure and Barring Service said there are no backlogs for DBS Enhanced checks and the average turnaround is eight days, adding: "The Update Service is an online service only which is accessible anywhere in the country. The Update Service check will advise any potential employer if there has been a change to the DBS certificate the applicant has presented to any potential employer or recruiter.
"If a change has been identified, the applicant will need to apply for a new DBS check. DBS will then issue a new DBS certificate with the new information, which can be then be linked to the Update Service subscription. It is up to the taxi licensing authority to decide how frequently the taxi license is reviewed and whether the applicant needs to apply for a new DBS check, use a previously issued DBS certificate, or a previously issued DBS certificate linked to the Update Service.
A Wirral council spokesperson said: "In order to protect the safety of the public, Wirral Council carry out checks to make sure that an applicant is a fit and proper person before issuing a private hire driver licence. This includes requiring applicants to undergo an enhanced DBS check to check their criminal record.
"A licence can only be granted when all of the requirements have been met. In accordance with the law, private hire and hackney carriage driver licences are issued for a maximum of three years. An Enhanced DBS Check is required upon each renewal and Wirral Council contacts licence holders approximately two months before the expiry of their licence with a reminder to renew their DBS."
