Consultation on changes to our Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy
We reviewed our Taxi Policy and wanted your views on the proposed changes.
What's the latest?
The new Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2023 to 2027 was agreed, subject to a few amendments, at our Full Council meeting on 20 September 2023. These were associated with:
- The immediate revocation of taxi driver licences in cases of serious misconduct in the interests of public protection (decisions to be made by officers in conjunction with the Chair of Licensing where possible).
- The decision by the Licensing Committee to remove the geographical/topographical testing requirement for hackney carriage driver applicants was changed by the County Council and will be kept as a requirement of the application process (but removed for private hire driver applicants).
- A change to the wording of the policy around the use of information gained from a social media source that relates to a licence holder's suitability to hold a licence.
- A further extension of the previously extended timescale for the phasing out of the very old, more polluting vehicles manufactured to Euro 4 standards from April 2024 to April 2025.
You can view the unamended policy on the County Council agenda and minutes 20 September 2023 page, Agenda Item 8, Appendix 3. Once the amendments have been made, the new policy will be published on our Hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy page.
Background
Following consultation on the review of the policy in 2020, our Licensing Committee accepted the proposed changes. Before it is adopted by us, we are seeking your views again on the draft policy. This further consultation is taking place to allow for further responses that may result from or reflect the effects of the Covid pandemic on the taxi trade and the travelling public.
The Draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2021-2026 (June 2022) (PDF, 417 KB) details our requirements and expectations for licensed drivers, vehicles, and operators. Most of the policy has not changed from the previous version, however some significant changes were proposed and are detailed below.
Proposed changes to the policy
We proposed the following changes to our policy:
- New applications (newly licensed vehicles): New applications for vehicle licences will only be accepted for vehicles manufactured to the emissions standard Euro 6 or higher.
- Renewal applications (existing vehicles and continued licensing): After the 1 January 2023, we will not accept renewal applications for licensed vehicles meeting Euro 4 or lower. After the 1 January 2024, we will not accept renewal applications for licensed vehicles meeting Euro 5 or lower.
Knowledge testing requirements will still apply, and prospective hackney carriage drives will still need to be tested on both knowledge and locality matters.
We have considered the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards and the proposals of the Institute of Licensing (IOL). Our new policy does not match the IOL standards in all respect but is in-line with the new National Standards.
We will introduce a driver improvement scheme for applicants with six points on their driving licences and for existing drivers who reach six points.
Safeguarding awareness including child sexual exploitation awareness training and disability awareness training requirements for both new and existing drivers is included in the new policy.
- Safeguarding (including child sexual exploitation awareness): Applicants will be required to attend a Safeguarding and Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) awareness training course before being licenced. We consider that this training is so important that all drivers should undergo refresher training at least every three years. From 1 January 2023, all existing licensed drivers must undergo CSE awareness refresher training before their licence is renewed, if they have not already received CSE awareness training (or CSE awareness refresher training) within the previous three years.
- Disability awareness training: Applicants will be required to attend a disability awareness training course before being licenced. We consider that this training is so important that all drivers should undergo refresher training periodically, at least every three years. From 1 January 2023, all existing licensed drivers must undergo disability awareness refresher training before their licence is renewed, if they have not already received disability awareness training within the previous three years
- Contract exemption for displaying decals etc: The rules are being relaxed and rather than applying strict rules regarding the length of contracts that will enable an exemption to be applied for, considerations will be made on a case-by-case basis by us and the Licensing Committee Chair and Vice Chairs.
In accordance with the Statutory Taxi & Private Hire Vehicle Standards, we have put in place a process that will allow for the immediate revocation of licences when the public is at serious and or imminent risk. In such cases, licences will not be suspended pending the outcome of a committee decision.
A decision to revoke a licence does not prevent the issuing of a new licence should further information be received that may change a previously made decision. A decision to suspend or revoke a licence is based on the evidence available at the time it was made, and new evidence may become available later. We will implement and operate a fast track re-application process for licence reinstatement following a revocation in such cases.
The right of appeal to a Magistrate's court also continues.
Have your say
The deadline for comments was midnight on Sunday 17 July 2022.
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