Change made to taxi and bus driver law

Parliament last night endorsed law changes which will allow bus and taxi drivers who have been jailed for 12 months or less to apply to the director of Land Transport for permission to carry on in their jobs.

Last year the Land Transport Amendment Bill banned anyone with convictions for murder, and serious sexual and violent offending from holding passenger service licences.

But it also caught out drivers with historic convictions such as a bus driver convicted 34 years ago for having sex with his girlfriend two days before her 16th birthday.

One of the factors the director will have to apply is public safety.