Lakeside Taxis hires Wolverhampton badge drivers to get more staff

Lakeside Taxis, which operates in Kendal and Windermere, has adverts on recruiting websites to hire taxi drivers with a valid Wolverhampton Private Hire Badge to join the team in South Lakes.

Manager Chris Groves explained this is due to the 'slow' application process by the council and consequently, he said they had to look 'outside the box'.

Westmorland and Furness Council said it was 'aware' of the delays to its licence processing times over recent months.

Mr Groves said the City of Wolverhampton Council is the 'second-largest licensing authority in the UK'.

Mr Groves said: "The drivers are not specifically from Wolverhampton - they are from anywhere but they can then operate for a select set of operators including ourselves. 

READ MORE: Westmorland and Furness Council urges residents to use licensed taxis

"We offer a programme where we fully fund all new taxi drivers. When we do get taxi drivers the council is fairly slow to get anything done and it takes about 12 weeks to get a new driver while the council does the stuff they need to do and in that 12 weeks, they get another job.

"For every 10 applicants, we get probably one or two turn into taxi drivers because it is such a long time to change from being an applicant to a driver. It has just been way more resourceful."

Mr Groves added finding drivers in the area was 'extremely hard'. 

"We have an hour's wait on taxis most of the time and I am trying to get an influx in drivers because a lot of people in the Lake District want to be in taxis - not driving them - and this is trying to find another resource for drivers and staff and this is the road we have to go down," he explained.

In March 2023 it emerged that almost a third of England’s private hire taxi drivers are registered in Wolverhampton.

Wolverhampton Council have previously denied that it is 'quicker and easier' to get a private hire licence with them, claiming applicants undergo a 'strict and rigorous' process that includes a one day training course, enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks, a medical certification and a face to face English assessment.

A Westmorland and Furness spokesperson said: “[We] apologise to anyone affected for the inconvenience caused.

“The recent delays were due to the systems used post Local Government Reorganisation to process DBS checks for drivers, which were unable to cope with demand. However, as of June 1 2024, a new system for processing these checks in a more timely manner has been implemented and will mean DBS checks could take an estimated 10 days from the point of application. Meaning licence applications will be much quicker as a result.

“Additionally, whilst there are no legislative restrictions on private hire operators or proprietors licensing vehicles with another local authority, it does mean that a vehicle is governed and regulated by the policies and procedures of the issuing authority and not by the local authority of the area where they operate. This means that if there are any issues or concerns with these vehicles and their drivers, they must be raised with the local authority who issued the licence. We strongly believe it’s in the best interests of the travelling public and local private hire operators to licence their vehicles within the local authority area in which they operate.

“Later this year we’ll also be consulting on a new Taxi policy for Westmorland and Furness and we would encourage taxi operators, drivers, and the travelling public to take the opportunity to help shape local policy in this area.”