Agenda item

To consider a report by the Head of Planning, Public Protection and Countryside Services (copy enclosed) seeking members’ review of the existing requirements for wheelchair accessible vehicles licensed by the Council.

RESOLVED that members note the contents of the report and authorise officers to instigate a consultation exercise with all interested parties on the following options and report back to a future meeting on the results of the consultation –

(a)      make no amendments to the current licensing requirements for WAVs meaning that they were licensed on the same basis as a “regular” vehicle;

(b)      consider removing the current age requirements for WAVs and replacing it with all WAVs must meet Euro 6 emission standards with an additional compliance test per year once the vehicle reached 12 years old and each year it was licensed thereafter, i.e., 3 tests a year at 4 monthly intervals;

(c)      consider (b) above without any additional compliance testing, and

(d)      consider that all new applications for a Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence be wheelchair accessible.

The Senior Licensing Officer submitted a report (previously circulated) seeking members’ review of the existing requirements for Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs) licensed by the Council.

Licensing Committee had approved the existing Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Policy in December 2016 which included an age restriction that all new to fleet vehicles must be a maximum of 5 years old and any vehicle reaching 12 years old must be removed.  Following a number of extensions, the age restriction would finally come into effect on 1 July 2024.  WAVs were required to meet the same standards as any other vehicle, but the costs associated with WAVs were much higher.  Given the impact of the age limit on the availability of WAVs, Denbighshire School Transport supported a review of the requirements and a small number of the taxi trade had also requested a review to make it more affordable to licence WAVs.

Reference was made to the Department for Transport best practice guidance and relevance of the Welsh Government’s white paper on taxi reform together with details on age and emissions of vehicles and licensed WAVs in Denbighshire.  Given the need to address the shortage of WAVs, members were asked to consider whether it would be appropriate to remove the age restrictions for WAVs and introduce a minimum emissions requirement and whether additional vehicle testing be imposed as a result.  Officers recommended a consultation exercise with on the following options with a report back to a future meeting on the consultation results –

(a)       make no amendments to the current licensing requirements for WAVs meaning that they were licensed on the same basis as a “regular” vehicle

(b)       consider removing the current age requirements for WAVs and replacing it with all WAVs must meet Euro 6 emission standards with an additional compliance test per year once the vehicle reached 12 years old and each year it was licensed thereafter, i.e., 3 tests a year at 4 monthly intervals

(c)        consider (b) above without any additional compliance testing

(d)       consider that all new applications for a Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence be wheelchair accessible.

Members stressed the need to ensure that the current high standards for licensed vehicles were maintained and that no action should be taken which would compromise those standards.  There was also some concern that not all vehicles would be subject to the same licensing criteria.  However, the importance of addressing the current shortage of wheelchair accessible provision was acknowledged, and consideration was given to the options set out in the report as a means of encouraging more WAVs to the fleet to meet that demand, particularly for school transport where the needs of learners were not currently being met.  In terms of maintaining safety standards officers explained that the proposed removal of the age limit and requirement to meet Euro 6 emission standards could be coupled with a more rigorous testing regime for those vehicles

The Chair believed a case had been made to consider whether a different high standard should be applied to WAVs given the shortage of those types of vehicles and costs associated with them, and she considered it would be useful to go out to consultation on the options and to consider those responses before a final decision was made.  Councillor Andrea Tomlin felt that, rather than making changes to the existing policy standards, more should be done to seek suggestions on other ways of addressing the current shortage of WAVs.  Officers confirmed that a free text box would be included in any consultation and those suggestions could be encouraged as part of that process.   All agreed there should be no drop in vehicle standards as a result of any proposed changes to be made. 

RESOLVED that members note the contents of the report and authorise officers to instigate a consultation exercise with all interested parties on the following options and report back to a future meeting on the results of the consultation –

(a)      make no amendments to the current licensing requirements for WAVs meaning that they were licensed on the same basis as a “regular” vehicle;

(b)      consider removing the current age requirements for WAVs and replacing it with all WAVs must meet Euro 6 emission standards with an additional compliance test per year once the vehicle reached 12 years old and each year it was licensed thereafter, i.e., 3 tests a year at 4 monthly intervals;

(c)      consider (b) above without any additional compliance testing, and

(d)      consider that all new applications for a Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence be wheelchair accessible.