English: I actually agree with Dai Lloyd and Ken Skates that the role played by the taxi drivers in Liverpool and Manchester was absolutely exemplary. Most taxi drivers are a reflection of the best of the culture of the communities where they work and that was seen last night. However, I think that, although this is a service operated by private companies, the public regards it as a public service, and in that regard, they expect that they will be protected by ensuring that those who are given the privilege to operate as taxi drivers, mini cab drivers or Uber drivers, will have been screened to ensure that there's nobody there who is going to be a risk to their passengers. I was appalled to read recently that in Rochdale, of all places, there are still drivers with criminal records of violence and sexual assault apparently still operating as licensed taxi drivers. That is of considerable concern, and I hope that this consultation will enable us to ensure that those who are licensed to drive a taxi, or a private hire vehicle or an Uber, will have gone through this rigorous enhanced screening process, similar to teachers or people working with vulnerable adults or children. I'm not at all averse to the rehabilitation of offenders, but we need to consider every application on its merits and I would not expect people to be licensed who have been convicted of driving without a licence or insurance, or indeed driving dangerously, or having recently been convicted of a violent offence or a sexual assault. Because there is a privilege involved in taking a passenger home, when the passenger is on their own with that individual, and we need to know that there are safeguards in place to ensure that they are not falling prey, as victims of crime. We need to ensure that taxi firms are running a tight ship, that they know where their drivers are and that they know what they're up to and can be held accountable, if anybody's using a taxi service as a front for drug dealing or trafficking or other illegal activities. Because it is a privilege, and therefore we need to ensure that a high standard is being maintained. So, like Dai Lloyd, I want to also ensure that once somebody has said they are available for hire, they're not discriminating against people, either because they have a dog in tow, or because they've got a wheelchair, or because they only want to go a short journey, because those are the terms of trade. They have to make themselves available to all comers, unless, of course, these people are so drunk or so violent that it would be a risk for them to go inside the taxi.
Welsh: Mewn gwirionedd, rwy'n cytuno â Dai Lloyd a Ken Skates bod gwaith y gyrwyr tacsis yn Lerpwl a Manceinion yn rhagorol. Mae'r rhan fwyaf o yrwyr tacsi yn adlewyrchu'r gorau o ddiwylliant y cymunedau y maent yn gweithio ynddynt. Gwelwyd hynny neithiwr. Fodd bynnag, er bod hwn yn wasanaeth a weithredir gan gwmnïau preifat, credaf fod y cyhoedd yn ystyried ei fod yn wasanaeth cyhoeddus. I'r perwyl hwnnw, maent yn disgwyl y byddant yn cael eu diogelu drwy sicrhau bod y rhai sy'n cael y fraint o weithredu fel gyrwyr tacsi, gyrwyr cabiau mini neu yrwyr Uber, wedi cael eu sgrinio i sicrhau nad oes neb yno sy'n mynd i fod yn risg i'w teithwyr. Cefais fy arswydo i ddarllen yn ddiweddar, yn Rochdale, o bob man, bod gyrwyr â chofnodion troseddol o drais ac ymosodiad rhywiol yn ôl pob golwg yn dal i weithredu fel gyrwyr tacsi trwyddedig. Mae hynny'n destun pryder sylweddol, ac rwy'n gobeithio y bydd yr ymgynghoriad hwn yn ein galluogi ni i sicrhau y bydd y rhai sy'n cael eu trwyddedu i yrru tacsi, neu gerbyd hurio preifat neu Uber, wedi mynd drwy'r broses well hon o sgrinio trwyadl, yn debyg i athrawon neu bobl sy'n gweithio gydag oedolion neu blant sy'n agored i niwed. Dydw i ddim o gwbl yn erbyn adsefydlu troseddwyr, ond mae angen ystyried pob cais yn ôl ei haeddiant. Ni fyddwn yn disgwyl i rywun gael trwydded os ydynt wedi'u cael yn euog o yrru heb drwydded neu yswiriant, neu yn wir yrru'n beryglus, neu ar ôl eu cael yn euog o drosedd dreisgar neu ymosodiad rhywiol yn ddiweddar. Mae'n fraint cael cludo teithwyr adref, pan fydd y teithiwr ar ei ben ei hun gyda'r unigolyn hwnnw, ac mae angen i ni wybod bod mesurau diogelu ar waith i sicrhau nad ydynt yn mynd yn ysglyfaeth, yn ddioddefwyr troseddau. Mae angen i ni sicrhau bod y cwmnïau tacsi yn rhedeg busnes effeithiol, eu bod yn gwybod ble mae eu gyrwyr a'u bod yn gwybod yr hyn y maent yn ei wneud ac y gellir eu dal yn atebol, os oes unrhyw un yn defnyddio gwasanaeth tacsi fel ffrynt ar gyfer gwerthu neu fasnachu cyffuriau neu weithgareddau anghyfreithlon eraill. Oherwydd mae'n fraint, ac felly mae angen i ni sicrhau bod safon uchel yn cael ei chynnal. Felly, fel Dai Lloyd, rwyf i am sicrhau hefyd unwaith y mae rhywun wedi dweud ei fod ar gael i'w logi, nad yw'n gwahaniaethu yn erbyn pobl, naill ai oherwydd bod ganddynt gi, neu oherwydd bod ganddynt gadair olwyn, neu oherwydd eu bod ond am fynd ar daith fer, oherwydd dyna delerau'r fasnach. Mae'n rhaid iddynt sicrhau eu bod ar gael i bawb a ddaw, oni bai, wrth gwrs, fod y bobl hynny mor feddw neu mor dreisgar fel y byddai'n berygl iddynt fynd i mewn i'r tacsi.