Agenda item

To consider a report by the Head of Planning and Public Protection (copy enclosed) presenting the proposed Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Vehicle Policy, specification and conditions for adoption with effect from 1 April 2017.

RESOLVED that the Licensing Committee –

(a)       adopt the Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Vehicle Policy, Specification and Conditions found at Appendix 1 to the report, to come into force on 1 April 2017, and

(b)       authorise the Head of Planning and Public Protection, in consultation with the Chair of the Licensing Committee, to make minor administrative amendments to the policy where necessary following a three yearly review, or earlier if appropriate.

The Licensing Officer (NJ) submitted a report by the Head of Planning and Public Protection (previously circulated) presenting the proposed Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Vehicle Policy, specification and conditions for adoption with effect from 1 April 2017.

Following a review and initial consultation on the proposed policy, members had approved a second consultation on a revised policy to reflect the changes made to the first draft and to take account of any further representations in the final version.  In presenting the final version officers had amended the policy to reflect the consultation responses as appropriate and had also incorporated some additional areas featured in other policies for clarity and ease of reference.  The Department for Transport Model Byelaws previously approved by members were waiting confirmation by the Secretary of State before final implementation and would sit alongside the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy.

The committee discussed the final draft policy with officers who clarified that –

·         the maximum age of vehicles had been subject to much debate in the past and the final draft brought both hackney carriages and private hire vehicles into line with vehicles under a new application being a maximum of 5 years old and renewal applications granted for vehicles up to 12 years old whereupon the vehicle must be replaced with one of a maximum age of 5 years

·         in terms of implementation of the new age limit all existing vehicles would have grandfather rights for 5 years which would be relevant to vehicles that had a continuous licence – vehicles not renewed before the expiry date of the existing licence would lose those rights and be treated as a new vehicle

·         the testing regime for licensed vehicles included two compliance tests per year – for consistency new vehicles to fleet required an initial test by the Council’s Fleet Services and at least one of the compliance tests carried out per year must be undertaken by Fleet Services when the vehicle reached 5 years old.

Members felt the changes brought consistency across hackney carriage and private hire vehicles and would result in improved vehicle standards whilst also giving sufficient time for the older vehicles to be replaced and upgraded.  It was also noted that there had been general support for introducing an age limit for vehicles from the trade during the consultation process.  For the benefit of new members it was clarified that the initial draft policy had highlighted the proposed changes to the existing policy.

RESOLVED that the Licensing Committee –

(a)       adopt the Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Vehicle Policy, Specification and Conditions found at Appendix 1 to the report, to come into force on 1 April 2017, and

(b)       authorise the Head of Planning and Public Protection, in consultation with the Chair of the Licensing Committee, to make minor administrative amendments to the policy where necessary following a three yearly review, or earlier if appropriate.