Debated in Parliament on 1 Aug 2017.
Mr Zainal Sapari asked the Minister for Transport for those whose applications for a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence have been rejected, whether LTA can reassess their applications to make a more compassionate assessment without compromising the safety and security of commuters.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Transport (a) in the last three years, how many Taxi Driver's Vocational Licences and Bus Driver's Vocational Licences have been granted to applicants who have a history of Court convictions respectively; and (b) whether LTA will consider granting Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence to applicants with such a history of convictions but with proven good track records thereafter.
Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licences have been issued up to end-July 2017; (b) how many applications have been rejected; and (c) of the rejected applications, how many have been issued following an appeal.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Transport what are the reasons for refusing to issue vocational driving licences for taxi drivers and private hire car drivers because the drivers have adverse records which are not related to public safety.
LTA has received about 47,000 Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL) applications and about 1,600 have been rejected. Applicants are rejected either because they have failed background checks, do not meet the driving experience requirement or have poor driving records.
LTA considers the nature of the offence when assessing applications from ex-offenders for a PDVL. Those who have committed extremely serious offences, such as rape, murder or kidnapping, are barred from obtaining a PDVL for life. Applicants who have committed less serious offences, like theft and cheating, will be barred for a few years from the date of conviction. Other offences which do not pose any threat to commuters, such as forgery, do not attract any debarment.
LTA also considers appeals from rejected applicants to see if we can make an exception on a case-by-case basis. Out of 35 appeals considered so far, nine have been accepted. This is similar to how we assess applications for the Taxi Driver's and Bus Driver's Vocational Licences. In the last three years, LTA has granted about 1,500 Taxi Driver's and Bus Driver's Vocational Licences to applicants who have criminal records.
This calibrated approach is necessary to strike a balance between giving ex-offenders an opportunity to re-integrate into society while ensuring the safety of passengers.
PAPERCUTS