Agenda item

To consider and comment on the proposed taxi licensing policy (Appendix A), which incorporates the required changes following the reviewing of the consultation responses.

The Committee received the report of the Council’s Licensing Manager, which asked Members to consider and comment on the proposed Taxi Licensing Policy set out at Appendix A of the agenda, which incorporated required changes following the reviewing of the consultation responses.

The Committee noted that a consultation had been held between 1 December 2018 and 4 February 2019 with proposals to Selby’s Taxi Licensing Policy 2019. Officers had reviewed the consultation responses received and had updated the proposed policy; updates were shown by way of tracked changes. On 8 April 2019 the Licensing Committee resolved to adopt the recommendations and endorsed the proposed policy. The policy would then be considered by the Executive for agreement and adoption.

Members acknowledged the detailed work had gone into the production of the new policy, but expressed concerns around the proposal that all new Hackney Carriage vehicles to the fleet must be wheelchair accessible. The Committee felt that more evidence was required to support the proposal, and that a 70/30 or 50/50 mixed fleet of wheelchair accessible vehicles would be more acceptable. Members also agreed that further work around how a mixed fleet would be monitored and implemented should be undertaken.

Officers explained that the current policy stated that all new vehicles had to be wheelchair accessible, and that it was the local authority’s duty to ensure that all taxis were safe and secure. Increasing the number of vehicles deemed as wheelchair accessible was an important part of ensuring that the fleet of vehicles licenced in Selby District were fit for purpose. Members noted that if vehicles were wheelchair accessible, this could be of benefit to drivers as they would be able to access contracts for organisations such as North Yorkshire County Council and the NHS, who required accessible vehicles for a number of reasons.

The Committee felt that more work was required with regards to a fully accessible fleet, including figures relating to the current number of accessible vehicles, what arrangements at other local authorities were and how numbers of accessible vehicles could be monitored.

The Committee also commented on a number of other aspects to the policy; that drivers should report any health issues to the Council within three working days and clarification that any applicants convicted of a crime involving or related to, or has had any connection with abuse, exploitation, use or treatment of another individual, whether adults or children, will never be granted a licence. In relation to comments made about the dress code for drivers, Officers explained that this was included in the code of conduct in order to encourage a professional image of drivers in the district.

The Committee agreed that the Executive should take their comments into account when considering the policy and that if additional work was required, it could be referred back to the Policy Review Committee for further comment, should they so wish. 

RESOLVED:

i.              To note the proposed Taxi Licensing Policy 2019.

ii.            To ask Officers to forward to the Executive the Committee’s comments on the proposed policy, including their concerns regarding the proposal that all new Hackney Carriage Vehicles should be wheelchair accessible.