More than 150 people convicted of violent crimes were granted taxi licences last year by Wolverhampton City Council, according to data obtained via a freedom of information request. The council, known as the UK's 'taxi capital', issued licences to 438 individuals with criminal convictions, including 158 for violent offences, 61 for drug offences, 36 for drink offences, and four for sexual offences.
Wolverhampton issued over 42,000 driver licences between April 2023 and March 2024, far exceeding other authorities. Birmingham and Bradford, the second and third largest issuers, granted just over 7,000 each. Drivers licensed in Wolverhampton can operate in other areas using apps like Uber and Bolt, raising safety concerns.
The council's regulatory committee attributed its dominance to digitised applications and streamlined processes. However, 96% of its licensed drivers live outside the city. Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham called the figures 'truly shocking', highlighting the 'broken licensing system' that allows out-of-area working.
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust has campaigned for consistent safeguarding standards since 2014, urging that drivers be subject to stricter background checks. The Department for Transport's guidance states that sexual offenders should not be licensed, and violent offenders should wait at least ten years after sentence completion.
Wolverhampton's chief executive Tim Johnson insisted that 'safeguarding is such a priority', noting that the council refuses thousands of applications annually and conducts DBS checks on all drivers. He added that licences are only approved if a panel would be happy for a loved one to travel alone with the driver.
