🟥 𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄: 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐇𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐕𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐬, 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐲

We’ve been informed that earlier this week, a box containing Private Hire Licences and PH Vehicle Roundel blanks have been found in a house clearance in Hackney.

An employee of Hackney Council found the items when sent to clear out a vacated council flat in preparation for a new tenant. He recognised what they were and showed them to a Taxi driver friend. 

Both the driver licenses and the vehicle roundel discs have the TfL hologram are on the same paper as genuine licensed and do not look like fake copies. If this is the fact, then they could only have come from one of three sources, that being TfL, a passing centre, or the printers

But then TfLTPH have form for missing licence blanks and this is not the first case of genuine licenses winding up in the wrong hands.

Just over a decade ago, it was alleged that thousands of Taxi Driver license blanks, had gone missing in the move from Penton Street to Palestra, after drivers noticed a gap between Badge Numbers being issued to newly qualified knowledge students. 

The then head of TfLTPH panicked and tried to get this story buried before the trade found out. He then made a statement saying that the missing licenses had actually been found in the back of a cupboard and hoped that would be the end of the matter. 

But then genuine blank licences started to become available from certain unsavoury outlets in North East London, along with Green Metal Badges. It was later found that the fake Green Badges were being produced in the basement of a pub in South West London. 

The scandal first came to light after a Licensed Taxi was involved in an accident in Victoria, where the driver did a runner. 

When police checked the West London garage from which the Taxi was hired, the copy licence left with the garage, although seemingly genuine, proved to be made out under a fake identity. 

It was because of the frequency of these missing licence blanks and fake badges turning up, that the new style licenses were issued containing holograms. 

Private Hire driver licenses are issued to drivers by TfL, but the actual vehicle licence discs are given by hand to vehicle owners at passing stations. 

Older drivers may remember the box of PH vehicle roundels, found after a tip off, in the cupboard of a certain West London Minicab office, that allegedly were acquired from a passing station employee.

Are we seeing a repeat of what happened back then?

If these licenses and roundels containing holograms are genuine, then they could only have come from  one of three places, TfL… a passing station…or the printers. 

Because of the public safety aspect of this latest scandal, it needs to be thoroughly investigated by the police and TfL……but again, don’t hold your breath.  

Let’s be honest, we’ve always known that many of the PH cars and online apps are being shared between drivers…most of whom don’t hold a current PH licence, and in some cases drivers not even holding a current driving licence…Yet TfLTPH do little to stop this practise. 

They appear to be more concerned with Taxi drivers using unauthorised credit card machines.

⬛️𝐓𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐚𝐱𝐢𝐬⬛️