East Suffolk Council

Complaining about taxi and private hire licensing issues

Complaining about licensed and unlicensed drivers, vehicles and operators

As a licensing authority, we set high standards for our licensed operators, private hire and hackney carriage (taxi) drivers and vehicles. Whilst such standards are maintained with a great deal of co-operation from both drivers and operators, there may be occasions when problems occur that you wish to complain about.

What to do first

If appropriate, you should inform the owner or manager of the company that the vehicle was hired from and operated by, so that they are aware of the problem.

When to complain to the police

If your complaint is about an alleged offence such as reckless or dangerous driving you should report the incident to the police straight away by telephoning 101 or 01473 613500.

When to complain to us

If the problem is about poor service - such as an operator being rude, or a driver turning up late or not giving you reasonable help with your luggage - you should contact us and provide as much detail about the incident as you can.

Also, please let us know if you are concerned about the condition or road worthiness of a licensed vehicle.

We would also like you to tell us if you think that an operator or driver is unlicensed.

How to make a complaint to the Licensing Team

It would be helpful if you give us as much information as possible. This could include:

• Your name and contact details.
• The driver's name or local authority licence number.
• The registration number of the vehicle or the local authority licence number.
• The name, address and telephone number of the taxi company you used.
• As much detail about the incident or issue as possible.

Alternatively, a letter or email that describes the problem you have had will be just as useful.

Please note that your personal details will not be made known to a licence holder without your prior consent. You can also ask a representative to write on your behalf.

What happens next?

Having received details of the complaint we will reply to you within seven working days. We will also make sure to:

• Advise you of any options that may be available to you if we cannot help with the problem.
• Keep you informed about the progress of an investigation, if an investigation is carried out.
• Advise you of the outcome of an investigation, and any action taken to resolve the problem, within twenty-eight days of receiving your complaint. (Please note that if an investigation results in a Council hearing, or a court case, it may not be possible to solve the problem within 28 days).