2020

Council to introduce new QR coded taxi driver licences to increase safety for passengers

Date Posted: 11:25 AM on Mon, 23 November 2020

QR codes on vehicle plates and drivers badges make it easy to verify that licences are genuine and valid.

Gedling Borough Council is introducing a new QR code security feature, on all taxi and private hire vehicle plates as well as all driver badges, which will be rolled out on all future licence applications and renewals.

The QR code can be accessed using a smart phone camera. The code will take the user to a secure website that will show them the vehicle and driver details, expiry date of the licence and verify the licence is valid.

The QR codes are being introduced as an added security measure, making it easier for licencing officers to check licences are valid, while offering an additional layer of peace of mind for passengers to know the vehicle and driver they are using are correctly licenced. It will also make it more difficult for taxi licences and plates to be counterfeited.

Leader of Gedling Borough Council, Councillor John Clarke said;

“The safety of passengers is our priority and any measures that can improve this are always welcome.  These new QR codes will allow passengers to be reassured that their drivers are correctly licenced and their vehicles are safe to enter. As more and more people can now use QR codes quickly and easily using their phone cameras, this will improve safety standards and make it easier for our licencing enforcement teams to inspect.

Our drivers have also welcomed this additional security check which they can use to show that their details are up to date and it also makes it more difficult for counterfeit licences to be created.”