Agenda item

Deregulation Act 2015 - Policy on Duration of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver Licences and Private Hire Operator Licences

To consider a report detailing the draft policy on the duration of hackney

carriage and private hire driver licences and private hire operator licences, as

a result of section 10 of the Deregulation Act 2015.

Minutes:

Following on from previous meetings, where Members were provided with update reports on the implications of the Deregulation Act 2015, the  Committee considered a report which detailed the changes, as from 1st October 2015, to the standard duration of hackney carriage and private hire driver licences and private hire operator licences; as a result of section 10 of the Deregulation Act 2015.

 

The Senior Licensing Practitioner, Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), introduced the report and in doing so informed the Committee that, with effect from 1st October 2015 and as a result of section 10 of the Deregulation Act 2015; the standard duration of hackney carriage and private hire driver licenses and private hire operator licenses was now three years and five years respectively.  In particular circumstances the Council could, if thought appropriate, grant a licence for a lesser period of time.

 

The fees charged by the Council for hackney carriage and private hire driver licenses and for private hire operator licenses had been reviewed in light of the changes.  The fees charged for three year driver licences and five year operator licenses were inevitably higher than the cost of a one year licence, as the Council’s enforcement and compliance costs, for the three year and five year periods would have to be covered within the licence fee.

 

Members were further informed that there could be many reasons why an applicant wanted to remain on a one year licence.  Inevitably the cost of applying for a three or five year licence would be higher; therefore applicants may prefer to avoid having to pay a more substantial licence fee and prefer to continue to pay a lower fee each year. Applicants could also be unsure if they intended to remain in the taxi trade for a further three year period.  This could apply to older applicants considering retirement within the three year period.

 

The Senior Licensing Practitioner, WRS, responded to the concerns raised by Members with regard to safeguarding, with the licence period being extended to three years for hackney carriage and private hire driver licences, in relation to what checks would be in place to ensure that WRS were notified if a driver committed a criminal or motoring offence. 

 

Members were informed that all licensed hackney carriage and private hire drivers had an obligation to inform WRS within seven days of any conviction or caution imposed.  Also hackney carriage and private hire drivers were still regarded as a ‘Notifiable Occupation’ although this particular concept had been recently overhauled.  Under the new Home Office Guidance, Common Law Police Disclosure (CLPD), which had replaced the Notifiable Occupations Scheme; a system existed to ensure that, where there was a potential risk to the public, the police would pass information to the licensing authority to allow them to act swiftly to put in measures to mitigate any danger.  The new CLPD scheme provided robust safeguarding arrangements.  With regard to motoring offences, WRS were currently able to carry out on-line driver checks with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and would continue to check driver licences on the anniversary of their application.

 

At the suggestion of the Chair and in agreement with Licensing Committee Members, the Senior Licensing Practitioner was tasked to organise a meeting in January 2016 with the taxi trade; to fully inform them of the implications of the Deregulation Act 2015 and for their feedback on a review of the Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Policy (Age Limits for Vehicles with Hydraulic Tail Lifts).

 

RESOLVED that

 

the policy on the duration of hackney carriage and private hire driver licences and private hire operator licences, as detailed at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved with immediate effect.

Supporting documents: