Issue - meetings

At its meeting on 16 June 2016 the Licensing Committee considered the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy and RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL that it be ADOPTED subject to the following amendments:

-        Paragraph 2.8 Security and CCTV

       There is no mandatory requirement for CCTV system in the licensed vehicles. Operators and drivers may install such equipment with prior written notification being supplied to the Council. Use of CCTV must be clearly indicated by signs in the vehicle including contact details for the system manager/operator. All such equipment and images must be operated in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. It is the responsibility of the driver/operator to ensure compliance. No audio, video or recording systems shall be installed or operated in the vehicle without prior written notification being supplied to the Council.

-        Appendix E, Paragraph 9

       Major traffic offences

       Isolated convictions, without disqualification, for a major traffic offence should not prevent an applicant from gaining a licence or an existing licence holder from keeping their licence but will normally merit a warning as to future driving and advice on the standard expected of hackney carriage and private hire drivers.  More than one. Any conviction for a major traffic offence within the last two years would require the application, or an existing licence holder, to be referred to the Licensing Sub-Committee for a decision. No further application would normally be considered until a period of three years free from convictions has elapsed.  Where an application has been refused, or an existing licence holder suspended because of this provision, they may be required to pass the DVSA Taxi and Private Hire Assessment before the licence is granted or the suspended licence reinstated.

69.1           At its meeting on 16 June 2016 the Licensing Committee had considered the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver’s Policy. The Licensing Committee had recommended to Council that it be adopted subject to the following amendments:

-     Paragraph 2.8 Security and CCTV

     There is no mandatory requirement for CCTV system in the licensed vehicles. Operators and drivers may install such equipment with prior written notification being supplied to the Council. Use of CCTV must be clearly indicated by signs in the vehicle including contact details for the system manager/operator. All such equipment and images must be operated in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. It is the responsibility of the driver/operator to ensure compliance. No audio, video or recording systems shall be installed or operated in the vehicle without prior written notification being supplied to the Council.

-     Appendix E, Paragraph 9

     Major traffic offences

     Isolated convictions, without disqualification, for a major traffic offence should not prevent an applicant from gaining a licence or an existing licence holder from keeping their licence but will normally merit a warning as to future driving and advice on the standard expected of hackney carriage and private hire drivers.  More than one. Any conviction for a major traffic offence within the last two years would require the application, or an existing licence holder, to be referred to the Licensing Sub-Committee for a decision. No further application would normally be considered until a period of three years free from convictions has elapsed.  Where an application has been refused, or an existing licence holder suspended because of this provision, they may be required to pass the DVSA Taxi and Private Hire Assessment before the licence is granted or the suspended licence reinstated.

69.2           The report that had been considered by the Licensing Committee had been circulated with the Agenda for the current meeting at Pages No. 49-92.

69.3           In proposing the recommendation from the Committee, the Chair of the Committee advised that, following the February meeting of the Licensing Committee, a six month consultation period had been undertaken. The five responses to the consultation had been dealt with by the Committee at its meeting in June, as per the amendments which had been outlined within the Committee’s decision on the matter, and the Council was now asked to agree in line with that recommendation. The Licensing Committee Chair also felt that, once the Policy was in place, any minor amendments needed to ensure it remained in line with legislation should be delegated to the Deputy Chief Executive, the appropriate Lead Member and the Chair of the Licensing Committee to ensure it remained up to date and he so proposed. Members generally felt that this seemed a sensible approach.

69.4           During the brief discussion which ensued, a Member questioned why the vehicles could not have audio systems installed; he was of the view that this needed to be reworded so that it did not cause confusion. In response, the Environmental Health Manager confirmed that audio  ...  view the full minutes text for item 69

To approve the renewal of the current hackney carriage tariff until 31 July 2017.

7.1             The report of the Licensing and Systems Officer, circulated at Pages No. 7-11, asked Members to conduct the annual review of the hackney carriage tariff.  It was recommended that the current tariff be renewed until 31 July 2017.

7.2             Members were informed that Section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 allowed a District Council to fix and vary a table of fares for hackney carriages in the area.  There were four hackney carriage vehicles in operation in Tewkesbury Borough.  The current tariffs, attached at Appendix A to the report, had come into effect on 18 July 2014.  The Licensing and Systems Officer confirmed that there had been no significant changes in the last 12 months which would affect the tariff and no complaints from members of the public.  All licensed proprietors and drivers of hackney carriages in the Borough had been contacted in March 2016 inviting them to make suggestions regarding the amendment of the current tariff; no responses had been received from the proprietors and this was taken to mean that they were happy with the current tariff in operation.  There had been no increase in the fuel prices in the South West region since the tariff was last reviewed and the consumer price index, the Government’s target measure of inflation, was at 0.03% in April 2016.

7.3             Having considered the information provided, it was

RESOLVED          That the current hackney carriage tariff be renewed until 31 July 2017.