Taxi Driver Safety Enclosures

Overview

City of Wolverhampton Council and South Staffordshire Council are consulting on policy changes to permit taxi drivers installing plastic safety screens between themselves and passengers. This is intended to protect drivers from violent passengers.

Why your views matter

Driver safety enclosures are typically rigid plastic enclosures which are installed in a vehicle, to segregate the driver from the passengers. These are not covered by Licensing Services’ current policies and may not currently be installed in taxis.

The Council acknowledges the protective features of these products but recognises that amateur installation and/or unapproved products result in increased risks, particularly in relation to road traffic collisions.

The Vehicle Licence Requirements Policy (Appendix 1) has been updated with draft amendments in sections 2.1 and 5. These amendments seeks to regulate the installation of DSE in licensed vehicles.

What happens next

The results of the consultation will be reported back to Committee for a decision on approval.