Crim cabbies facing checks

ERIN PEARSON
GEELONG taxi drivers will undergo weekly police checks to weed out criminals, according to an industry boss.
Geelong Taxi Network chief executive officer Peter Valentine said police would cross-check drivers’ names against outstanding warrants, criminal charges and other infringements.
The worst offenders faced jail, arrest or on-the-spot bans, Mr Valentine said.
The checks would be part of a statewide agreement between Victoria Police and Department of Transport’s Victorian Taxi Directorate (VTD) to test 50,000 taxi, bus and chauffeur drivers each week.
Mr Valentine said authorities previously only checked whether drivers were criminals or wanted by police when applying for their licences to drive taxis or when under investigation.
“It’s another step in improving our service and public transport state-wide.
“It’s extremely important it’s done. We welcome the announcement.”
State Public Transport Minister Terry Mulder said recent police checks had discovered 84 taxi, bus and wedding car drivers who had committed serious category-one offences.
Category-one offenders included paedophiles, rapists, murderers, culpable drivers and child pornography offenders.
Mr Mulder said the new initiative would further boost safety.
“The new criminal data matching initiative will ensure that the VTD is made aware of any charges and/or convictions laid against an accredited person, allowing appropriate action to be taken.
“Ongoing weekly data-matching will provide the VTD with the identity of all accredited drivers who have been charged or found guilty of any criminal offence within the past eight days.