Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about taxi licensing because we are satisfied with the actions the Council proposes to take, we could not add to any previous investigation by the Council and further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Mr Y complained the Council delayed in deciding whether to issue him with a private hire taxi license.
2. Mr Y says this led to his application being several months late, causing him upset, worry and inconvenience as he was without a job for two months before his license was issued.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)
4. 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 or continue an investigation if we decide:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information Mr Y provided and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. In this case the Council has agreed that there were delays in its consideration of Mr Y’s application for a taxi license. It has provided as part of its complaint response, a chronology of the different actions taken in Mr Y’s case. From this chronology there appears to be a delay, where Mr Y’s application was not adequately progressed at regular intervals of between three and four months.
7. While Mr Y’s particular case had some complications, this delay did cause Mr Y inconvenience and upset. Within its complaint handling the Council offered a remedy for the injustice caused to Mr Y. It offered Mr Y its sincere apology, agreed to consider changing the form for taxi licensing to better word questions so situations such as Mr Y’s could be better described and understood upon application, and offered to pay Mr Y £300 to recognise the emotional impact on him.
8. I have considered this remedy as part of my consideration of this complaint. The remedy seeks to both prevent future problems of the same nature and to remedy the injustice caused to Mr Y. The Council also explained in its response how it approached this remedy, and this is in line with our own guidance.
9. As the Council has properly considered and investigated the complaint and its impact, it is unlikely the Ombudsman would be able to add to the original investigation. Further, the Council has offered a proportionate and appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by its fault. Consequently, it is unlikely further consideration of this complaint would lead to a different outcome. Consequently, we will not investigate this complaint.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mr Y’s complaint because we are satisfied with the actions the Council proposes to take, we could not add to any previous investigation by the Council and further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman