Agenda item

To agree to defer the redrafting of the Taxi and Private Hire Policy until further information and statutory guidance on the full implications of deregulation is available and to approve the renewal of existing taxi and private hire policies and conditions until such time a new policy is in place. 

7.1             Attention was drawn to the report of the Licensing Team Leader, circulated at Pages No. 10-72, which asked Members to agree to defer the redrafting of the Taxi and Private Hire Policy until further information and statutory guidance on the full implications of deregulation were available, and to approve the renewal of the existing taxi and private hire policies and conditions until such time a new policy was in place, but no later than 31 March 2016.

7.2             On 5 March 2015, the Licensing Committee had agreed to redraft a Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy following a comprehensive review of the existing policies.  On 26 March 2015, the Deregulation Act 2015 received royal assent, followed by The Deregulation Act 2015 (Commencement No 1 and Transitional and Saving Provisions) Order 2015 which set out the commencement date for taxi and private hire deregulation measures.  The provisions would be coming into force on 1 October 2015 and the main changes were highlighted in Paragraphs 2.2-2.5 of the report.  This would be a major amendment to the 1976 Act affecting taxi and private hire drivers and operators and the deregulation would have far reaching implications for private hire operators in relation to the sub-contracting of bookings from one private hire vehicle operator to another.  There was currently no detailed information or operational guidance on the deregulation measures available from the Government or other organisations, therefore, it was recommended to defer redrafting the Council’s Taxi and Private Hire Policy until such time as further information was available.  If Members were minded to agree to a deferral, it would be necessary to renew the existing taxi and private hire policies and conditions until such time a new policy was in place, but that should be no later than 31 March 2016.

7.3             A Member drew attention to Page No. 28 of Appendix B to the report which set out the existing Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver’s Licensing Policy.  She noted that the applicant’s photograph for their licence must “show full face uncovered without sunglasses and, unless the applicant wears a head covering due to his/her religious beliefs, without a head covering” and she queried whether this was acceptable from a racial discrimination point of view.  The Licensing Team Leader clarified that this was in line with the HM Passport Office and Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) photograph requirements.  The Chairman expressed the view that the redrafting of the Taxi and Private Hire Policy should not be delayed indefinitely and he asked that an update be brought to the next meeting of the Licensing Committee.  It was subsequently proposed, seconded and

RESOLVED          1. To DEFER the redrafting of the Taxi and Private Hire Policy until further information and statutory guidance was available on the full implications of deregulation.

2. To APPROVE the renewal of the existing taxi and private hire policies and conditions until such time as a new policy was in place, but no later than 31 March 2016, with an update to be brought to the Licensing Committee meeting on 15 October 2015.