Agenda item

Committee were asked to consider the modernisation of conditions attached to the granting of licences issued to drivers, proprietors and operators of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles in order to promote a professional and customer focused licensed trade.  The report also sought to reduce the financial costs incurred by those seeking to provide licensed vehicles and to address the long term objective of reducing vehicle pollution across the District.

Committee were asked to consider some amendments to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire (Dual) Driver Licence: Conditions, as detailed at Appendix One, which affected paragraphs 66 to 84 shown on pages 31 and 32 of the agenda.

RESOLVED that

a)    the proposed conditions to be attached to the granting of Driver, Vehicle and Operator Licences, as outlined in the report, be approved subject to paragraphs 66 to 84 of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire (Dual) Driver Licence: Conditions (shown at Appendix One) being replaced with the following:-

66.   TheDriver shall notwhilstdrivingorin chargeofa PrivateHireVehicle parkonany taxirank whether within or outside of the Ashfield District Council area.

67.    The Driver shall not whilst driving or in charge of a Hackney Carriage Vehicle park on any taxi rank outside of the Ashfield District Council area.

68.   TheDriver of a vehicleequippedwitha taximetershall ensurethat the table of fares (whether that be the Hackney Carriage Statement of Fares & Charges as issued by Ashfield District Council, or the Table of Fares as issued by the Private Hire Operator) is displayed ina clearly visible positionin thevehicle,provideanexplanationof the tableof faresif so requestedbythepassenger, and made available upon request to any Authorised Officer.

69.   TheDriver shallwhendrivinga vehicleequipped witha taxi-meter ensure that duringany hiringthefaceof thetaxi-meter is atall timesplainlyvisibletothepassengers.

70.   TheDriver shallwhendrivinga vehicleequipped witha taxi-metersetthemeter intooperationwhen thehirer starts her or his journey unless thehirer asks the hiring toengage thevehiclebytime,or at the timepre-arrangedfor thejourney to start as requestedby thehirer.

71.   TheDriver shallif thevehicleis involvedin anaccident,informthevehicleproprietor immediately, in order that thevehicle proprietormay contact theLicensingOfficerwithin72hoursof theincident occurring.

72.   TheDriver shallif thevehicleis involvedin anaccident,andis requestedtodoso,givehis or her nameandaddress and any other reasonabledetails,andthevehicleproprietorsname andaddress, details of the vehicle insurance,andthe licence number and registration number of thevehicletoany injured party or AuthorisedOfficer.

73.   TheDriver shallwhen drivinga Hackney Carriagetoa taxirankandfinding that thetaxirankisoccupied by thefullnumber ofCarriagesauthorisedto do so,proceed toanotherstand, andnot parkon or near ataxirank that is full.

74.   TheDriver shallwhendrivinga Hackney Carriageonarrivingata rank that is not fully occupiedstationthe vehicle immediately behindthelast Hackney Carriage soas to facein thesamedirection.WhentheHackneyCarriageimmediately in front of thevehiclebeingdriven by the Drivermoves forward,theDriver shallalsomove forward toallowmoreHackney Carriagestojoin therank.

75.   TheDriver shallwhendrivinga Hackney Carriagenotcauseanobstructionwhenparkedon a taxirank and when the vehicle is thefirstvehicleonthe rankbein constantattendanceandbe ready to be hiredatonce by any person.

76.   TheDriver shallwhendrivinga Hackney Carriagenot park ona rank in the Ashfield District for any purposeother thanforstanding for hire.

77.    The Driver of a Hackney Carriage when hailed by a customer within the Ashfield District Council area or when approached whilst waiting on an Ashfield District Council taxi rank, must, unless he or she has reasonable excuse, accept any hiring within the Ashfield District boundary if the destination is also within the Ashfield District boundary. The fare for such a journey, will be calculated by the taxi meter, and the scale of charges applicable to journeys within the Ashfield District Council area shall apply.

78.    The Driver of a Hackney Carriage when hailed by a customer within the Ashfield District Council area or when approached whilst waiting on an Ashfield District Council taxi rank, does not have to accept journeys that end outside of the Ashfield District boundary; the fare or rate of fare must be by agreement between the hirer and Driver before the journey commences. Where no such agreement exists, and the journey is undertaken, the scale of charges applicable to journeys within the Ashfield District Council area shall apply.

79.   TheDriver shallcarry acopy of theseconditionswithinthevehicleandmakethemavailablefor inspectionby thehirer or any passenger, or AuthorisedOfficeruponrequest,andbe familiar with theconditionsof the Hackney Carriage & Private Hire (Dual) Driver licence, andof the Enforcement Procedures asdetailedin theCouncils Policy on theRelevance ofWarnings,Offences, Cautions and Convictions.

80.   TheDriver shallenrolwiththeDisclosureand BarringServices(DBS) UpdateServiceandmaintainany necessary agreements andarrangementswiththat Servicesoas to ensurethat theLicensingAuthority (shouldit havea reasonable requirement to do so)may access thelicenceholdersDBSrecordin order to promotetheobjectives of public safety and safeguarding,andtopreventdelay in thedeterminationofthe renewalofthelicence;

b)    the revisions to the age limit criteria applicable to Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles, as outlined in the report, be approved; 

c)    the Licensing Team Leader be authorised to carry out a consultation on the proposals detailed within the report;

d)    delegated authority be granted to the Chairman of the Licensing Committee, in conjunction with the Interim Service Director for Place and Communities, to consider any responses to the consultation, make any relevant changes to the Driver, Vehicle and Operator Conditions and finalise the documentation accordingly.

Reasons:

The report seeks the implementation of conditions to be attached to drivers, vehicles and operators licensed by this Authority and reflect today’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Trade.

The report also seeks amendments to the age limits currently adopted in relation to Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles in order to reduce the financial costs faced by local businesses when purchasing vehicles to be used to provide transport services, whilst seeking to also promote a strategy to reduce vehicle pollution.