Agenda item - Draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy - Consideration of Consultation Responses

Agenda item

Draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy - Consideration of Consultation Responses

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report which detailed the consultation responses received to the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing policy, that went out for the 12 week consultation period, with the relevant stakeholders; as detailed in paragraph 3.8, page 6 of the main agenda report, during June to September 2021.

 

The Principal Licensing Officer, Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), introduced the report and in doing reminded the Committee that a review of all of the Council’s hackney carriage and private hire policies had been undertaken in response to the publication by the Department for Transport guidance under section 177 of the Policing and Crime Act 2017, entitled “Statutory Taxi & Private Hire Standards.”

 

On 15th March 2021, Licensing Committee Members were presented with a copy of the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy for consideration.  Whilst a large number of the recommendations set out in the Statutory Taxi & Private Hire Standards were already being met within the Council’s existing policies, the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy was drafted so as to incorporate any of the recommendations that were not already being followed.

 

As highlighted in the preamble above, an initial consultation was undertaken during June and September 2021.  The consultation was then re-opened for a 7 week period during December 2021 to January 2022 to provide a further opportunity for stakeholders to respond.  Consultation was also undertaken via an online survey.  Paper versions of the consultation survey were also made available for those that wished to respond that way.

 

Information on the consultation, along with details on how to respond were sent out to stakeholders, as detailed in paragraph 3.17, page 7 of the main agenda report.

 

The consultation was also made available on the Council’s website and was promoted by the Council’s Communications Team, including via the Council’s social media channels.

 

The questions included in the consultation were detailed at Appendix 2 to the report.

 

A summary of the consultation responses received were detailed at Appendix 3 to the report.

 

Officers had reviewed the consultation responses and did not consider that there were any compelling local reasons why those elements of the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, that were based on the recommendations in the Statutory Taxi & Private Hire Standards, should not be implemented.

 

A number of other comments and observations had also been received, and these were summarised in a table on pages 9 to 11 of the main agenda report.

Members expressed their sincere thanks to the Principal Licensing Officer for his comprehensive report.

 

The Principal Licensing Officer responded to questions from the Committee and in doing so, explained that the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, was based on a template that had been created with a view to each of the six district Councils in Worcestershire adopting new policy statements that were substantially similar to one another, particularly in relation to the licensing of hackney carriage and private hire drivers and private hire operators.

 

Members expressed their sincere thanks to the Principal Licensing Officer for his comprehensive report.

 

The Principal Licensing Officer responded to questions from the Committee and in doing so explained that the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing policy was based on a template that had been created with a view to each of the six district Councils in Worcestershire adopting new policy statements that were substantially similar to one another, particularly in relation to the licensing of hackney carriage and private hire drivers and private hire operators.

 

Members questioned cross border working and the Principal Licensing Officer reassured Members that, the Department for Transport expected the recommendations detailed in the Statutory Taxi & Private Hire Standards, to be implemented every authority unless there was a compelling local reason not to.  The Department for Transport would continue to monitor to see how authorities were progressing with the in the Statutory Taxi & Private Hire Standards.  There was a consensus that common core minimum standards were required to regulate better the taxi and private hire vehicle sector.

 

Various associations, including the Local Government Association (LGA) Licensing, regulations and trading standards would continue to lobby to ensure that the Statutory Taxi & Private Hire Standards were followed.

 

RESOLVED that the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy,

as detailed at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved to take effect from 1st

September 2022.

 

 

 

Supporting documents: