Complain or compliment a taxi driver
We record all complaints and compliments about taxis, except where complainants are unwilling to provide their contact details and in the following circumstances -
- if you witness any driving offences or receive abuse, threats or harassment from a taxi driver, and you are not the passenger in the taxi or private hire vehicle. This needs to be reported to Humberside Police. If the matter is an emergency, call 999
- for parking offences, where taxi or private hire vehicles are parked on double yellow lines. This needs to be reported to Hull City Council Parking Enforcement at parking.enforcement@hullcc.gov.uk.
- parking offices can also be reported by calling 01482 300 300. However, causing an obstruction to a property would be a matter for the Police and we would advise you to call 111
- private hire fares and charges. These are not set by Hull City Council, therefore this would be a civil matter between the operator and hirer. In most cases a private hire operator will have a table of fares or would provide a rough estimated cost, if asked, but may vary where drivers are prevented from taking the most direct, safest, or quickest route to the destination due to circumstances out of the driver's or the operator's control.
How to submit a compliment or make a complaint
Email us at taxi@hullcc.gov.uk
Record a compliment
Compliments in relation to your experiences whilst travelling in one of our licensed vehicles are always gratefully received. Please tell us about your experience, providing us with as much information as possible to assist us in identifying the driver, such as -
- drivers badge number
- vehicle licence plate number (taxi plates are yellow, private hire are white and red)
- vehicle registration number
- make, model and colour of vehicle
Outcome
When compliments are received, and we can identify the driver, these are recorded on the drivers file and the driver issued with a letter advising them that their professional conduct has been recognised.
Make a complaint
Tell us what happened and when. We will need you to identify the driver, provide the badge number (if possible), and provide us with as much information as possible about the vehicle, such as -
- vehicle licence plate number (taxi plates are yellow, private hire are white and red)
- vehicle registration number
- make, model and colour of vehicle
If you cannot provide us with these details, we will be unable to investigate your complaint.
You must also provide us with your contact details (name, address, email and telephone number).
Complaint process - what will happen next
You will receive an acknowledgment that your complaint has been received and allocated to and Enforcement Officer to investigate.
We will try to trace the driver or operator concerned and allow them to respond to the complaint. All evidence will be looked at and we will decide what further action should be taken.
Once a decision has been made, you will be notified of the outcome.
Outcome
For all complaints there has to be enough evidence to enable us to take further action. This often means there being witnesses, or some other form of evidence like CCTV, video or audio evidence.
Where we have enough evidence to prove the complaint and dependent upon the nature of the complaint, we can either -
- prosecute the driver
- review the driver's licence
- warn the driver about their behaviour
The action we take depends on a number of things. For example -
- if the complaint is not a criminal offence, we won't be able to prosecute
- if there isn't enough evidence, we are unlikely to be able to take further action
- we might record details on the driver's file and look at the matter again if we receive more complaints that are similar in nature
Complaints resulting in court action
For complaints which will result in court action, we will need witness statements from everyone who was there at the time of the incident. If you don't want to provide a witness statement, we won't be able to take the case to court and it will be dealt with in a less formal manner.
Unable to enforce the offence
If we cannot enforce the offence, the complainant will be advised to refer it to the Police or relevant enforcement agency. In such cases, any licence review will usually be postponed until the Police have completed their investigation and closed the incident. This may mean waiting to see if the licence holder is convicted.
If the allegation requires interim steps, we might suspend the licence, pending the completion of the police investigation.
How long will it take
The process of tracing and interviewing the driver, along with preparing evidence can take time.
We will acknowledge your complaint within 3 working days.
If we need more information or a witness statement, we will contact you and arrange an appointment.
Once our investigation is complete, we will inform you of the outcome.
Contact us
- taxi@hullcc.gov.uk
- 01482 300 300
