A Telford & Wrekin councillor has raised serious safety concerns after claiming she has repeatedly witnessed taxi drivers dozing off behind the wheel during journeys.
Labour Cllr Corrine Chikandamina, who estimates she uses taxis up to 1,500 times a year, brought the alarming issue to light during a Regulatory Committee meeting on Thursday, 26 June. She said she had personally experienced “umpteen” occasions where drivers appeared to be falling asleep while transporting passengers.
“I am an avid taxi person, but I have been in umpteen taxis where the driver has been falling asleep at the wheel,” she told the committee. She explained that she had reported the incidents to taxi companies but had never received any feedback.
“How do we know that it has been dealt with?” she asked, before questioning whether there was a policy in place to prevent drivers from overworking. “Is there a policy in place which prevents a driver saying ‘I’m going to push my luck here’ and potentially could cause an accident?”
Council officers responded by confirming that such incidents should be reported directly to Telford & Wrekin Council. They explained that driving for “an inordinate amount of hours” could breach the requirement for taxi drivers to be deemed a “fit and proper person” to hold a licence.
“It is really, really worrying and it should be reported to us and we will do what needs to be done,” an officer said. “Companies should be monitoring it.”
The officer also stressed that Telford & Wrekin-licensed drivers generally have a strong reputation for compliance and local knowledge. However, the committee acknowledged that some drivers operating in the area may be licensed elsewhere — from neighbouring councils such as Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and others — which can complicate enforcement and oversight.
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