Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an application for a taxi licence. This is because there is insufficient evidence of injustice.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Mr X, says the Council delayed processing his taxi licence renewal, due to a technical issue, and refused his claim for compensation for loss of earnings.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start an investigation if we decide any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council. This includes the complaint correspondence. I also considered the Council’s licensing policy and our Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. Mr X’s taxi licence was due to expire on 3 August. He submitted his renewal, via the Council’s portal, on 27 July and paid the fee on 29 July. Mr X wanted to check the Council had received the application but says it did not respond to his enquiry. Mr X submitted a paper application on 1 August. The Council renewed the licence on 21 August. The Council encourages people to submit a renewal at least 28 days before the expiry of the existing licence.
5. Mr X says there was a similar problem with the renewal process in 2023. The Council paid compensation for loss of earnings.
6. Mr X says that while he was waiting for his new licence he did not get work via a taxi booking firm (an independent body not linked to the Council). He blames the problems with the on-line application process. Mr X made another claim for loss of earnings which the Council declined. The Council says the circumstances in 2023, when it paid compensation, were different. However, it apologised for the issues with the system which it said it was working to put right. It also said Mr X was allowed to work in the period between the Council receiving the application and issuing the new licence.
7. I will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of injustice. Mr X says he lost work while the Council was processing his renewal. However, the delay caused by the system error was only three days; he paid the fee on 29 July and the Council accepted a paper application on 1 August. Even without this short delay, there would still have been a period of time when Mr X was waiting to receive his new licence and this period overlaps with the period when he says he lost work. Any problems with the booking company, or loss of earnings, might have been avoided if Mr X had submitted his renewal sooner. In addition, Mr X could work while he was waiting for his new licence. The policy says he would only have been prohibited from working if he had applied to renew after the expiry of the existing licence.
8. Mr X says the Council should pay compensation because this is the same issue as in 2023. But, each complaint is assessed individually and while I do not know the full details about 2023, I see no evidence of fault causing injustice in this current complaint.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman