Complaints can only be investigated if the driver or vehicle is identifiable. The easiest way to identify the driver or vehicle is to note the vehicle licence number which is displayed on the vehicle plate on the back of the vehicle, the internal plate which should be displayed on the dashboard of the vehicle or on the window sticker which should be displayed in the side widows in the rear of the vehicle.
The inside of the side plates state if a vehicle is licensed by Sandwell Council and also gives information on how to make a complaint. Every driver will also be wearing a driver badge which includes their photo and their licence number.
A second badge containing the driver name and photo should also be displayed in the front of the vehicle and can often be seen hanging from the driver’s internal mirror.
You can ask you driver for a receipt at the end of the journey and can also ask them for the vehicle number.
If you have booked a vehicle through an operator or via an app and have a complaint about your journey, such as the route taken or the fare charged, please speak to the operator you made the booking with in the first instance.
If you have done so and are not satisfied with the response from the taxi operator, or you have a complaint about the drivers behaviour, you wish to report unsafe driving, or have a complaint about the taxi operator you made the booking through, please contact the Taxi Licensing Team via taxi_licensing@sandwell.gov.uk or by phone on 0121 569 6655.
We will require details about what happened, when it happened including the date and approximate time, and include any other details about the driver, the vehicle or the Operator you made a booking with or where you caught the Hackney Carriage vehicle from.
You can also send complaints to the Taxi Licensing Team if you have hailed a taxi off the street or from a rank and your complaint is about the driver's behaviour, the vehicle, the route taken, concerns about the meter being incorrect, overcharging, the driver refused to take a wheelchair user or not strapping a wheelchair in the vehicle correctly, or refusing an assistance dog.
If your complaint is about assault, verbal abuse, antisocial driving or road rage, unsafe driving or speeding or using a mobile phones or other device whilst driving please report the incident to Police soon as possible.