Agenda item

To consider the results of the consultation exercise undertaken in relation to a number of proposed amendments to the Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle and Driver Policies that were recommended to the Licensing Committee following the Overview and Scrutiny Committee’s “Improving Access for People with Disabilities to Redditch Taxi Fleets” Short, Sharp Review.

Following on from the Licensing Committee meeting held on 7th November 2016.  Members received an update report on the consultation document produced by Worcestershire Regulatory Services on “Improving Disabled People’s Access to Redditch Taxi Fleets”.

The Senior Licensing Practitioner reminded Members that following the findings and recommendations of the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Improving Disabled People’s Access to Redditch Taxi Fleets Task Group; Members had considered the recommendations of the Task Group at the Licensing Committee meeting held on 18th July 2016.

The Licensing Committee had agreed that the Task Group recommendations be approved subject to a minor amendment, as detailed at paragraph 3.7 in the report.

Following discussions with WRS and the Council’s Legal Services, WRS were advised that those recommendations that required amendments to the Council’s policies and those that involved licence holder’s contact details being published on the Council’s website would require further consultation with the relevant stakeholders. 

A further consultation document was produced, as detailed at Appendix 1 to the report.  During October 2016 the consultation document was distributed to all drivers and operators licensed by Redditch Borough Council and relevant stakeholders.  Details of the consultation were also included on the Council’s website.  The consultation was open for responses until 31st December 2016.

The Senior Licensing Practitioner highlighted that Members were being asked to consider the responses received to the additional consultation, a summary of which was detailed at Appendix 2 to the report and to consider which proposed amendments to the Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policies they wished to take forward.

The majority of respondents agreed with the Councils proposal to relax its policy on the licensing of vehicles as hackney carriages, so that instead of additional hackney carriages having to be ‘brand new’ wheelchair accessible vehicles, they could be wheelchair accessible vehicles that were up to six years of age.

A small minority of respondents agreed with the Council’s proposal to amend its policy on the licensing of drivers of hackney carriage and private hire vehicles to require all drivers to undertake refresher training in driving standards and disability awareness training every three years.

A substantial majority of respondents agreed with the Council’s proposal to amend its policy and conditions for the licensing of hackney carriage and private hire vehicles to require proprietors to display stickers in their vehicles which provided information for passengers on how to make complaints or pass on compliments.

Every single respondent agreed with the Council’s proposal to publish a list on the Council’s website of all taxi owners / operators who were able to provide a vehicle that was capable of carrying a passenger whilst they remained seated in their wheelchair.

The Senior Licensing Practitioner, WRS, drew Members’ attention to the responses received from the Redditch Taxi Association (RTA), as detailed at Appendix 3 to the report. 

The RTA had disagreed with the proposal to relax the Council’s policy on the licensing of vehicles as hackney carriages, so that instead of additional hackney carriages having to be ‘brand new’ wheelchair accessible vehicles, they could be wheelchair accessible vehicles that were up to six years of age.

The RTA had also disagreed with the Council’s proposal to amend its policy on the licensing of drivers of hackney carriage and private hire vehicles to require all drivers to undertake refresher training in driving standards and disability awareness training every three years.  The RTA had stated in their response that drivers had unanimously rejected this amendment.  Drivers had seen a decrease in their earnings over the last few years, so were concerned as to who would cover the cost of such training and courses.

The RTA had agreed with the Council’s proposal to amend its policy and conditions for the licensing of hackney carriage and private hire vehicles to require proprietors to display stickers in their vehicles which provided information for passengers on how to make complaints or pass on compliments. However, the RTA had suggested that such information should be included on the licence plates rather than on a separate sticker.

The RTA also made a number of other comments and suggestions in their response, which included the suggestion that an independent inquiry should be carried out before any decision was made to change Council policies.

The RTA had also highlighted that a number of drivers had not received the additional consultation so were unable to comment.

The Senior Licensing Practitioner, WRS, explained that the consultation document had been sent to all licensed drivers.  The onus was on licensed drivers to ensure that WRS held all of their correct details, including their correct postal addresses.  WRS would therefore need to be made aware of any drivers who had not received the consultation papers.

Members expressed their concerns with the low number of responses received to the consultation from relevant agencies.  They were concerned that potentially not all of the relevant agencies and stakeholders had been consulted with.

The Senior Licensing Practitioner, WRS, responded to a number of questions from Members and in doing so highlighted that he had liaised with the Council’s Engagement and Equalities Advisor with regard to the relevant agencies and stakeholders to forward the consultation document to.

Having expressed their concerns, Members agreed that the Recommendation, as detailed at paragraph 2 in the report, be amended in order that the revised consultation document, as detailed at Appendix 2 to the report, be distributed to any identified licensed drivers and agencies not included in the original consultation process.

The Senior Licensing Practitioner, WRS, responded to further questions from Members with regard to the content and positioning of the compliments / complaints stickers in vehicles.

The Chair expressed sincere thanks from the Committee to the Senior Licensing Practitioner, WRS, for the work carried out on the consultation.

RESOLVED that as detailed in the preamble above 

·        the Senior Licensing Practitioner, WRS, to liaise with the Redditch Taxi Association with regard to licensed drivers who did not receive the initial consultation document.  The revised consultation document, as detailed at Appendix 2 to the report, to be distributed to those drivers as identified;

·        the Senior Licensing Practitioner, WRS, to liaise with the Council’s Engagement & Equalities Advisor, to clarify which agencies were consulted with and if the following agencies were consulted with:-

o   Older People’s Forum

o   Community Forum

o   Health and Well Being Group

o   BARN (Bromsgrove and Redditch Network)

o   DAR (Disability Action Redditch)

o   Town Centre Partnership

If any of the above agencies were not consulted with, the revised consultation document, as detailed at Appendix 2 to the report, to be distributed to those agencies.  A further report on the responses received to be presented to the next meeting of the Licensing Committee.

·        that following on from those responses received, to the revised consultation document, the following RECOMMENDATIONS from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Improving Disabled People’s Access to Redditch Taxi Fleets Task Group, be re-considered by Licensing Committee Members:-

·         to allow applications for new hackney carriages to be made for vehicles that are less than six years old, meet European M1 safety standards and have facilities for carrying a disabled person in a wheelchair within the vehicle. (This relates to the Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licensing Policy only); and

·         The Driver Licence Policy – Application for a Hackney Carriage and / or Private Hire Vehicle Driver’s Licence be amended to require that refresher training should be provided on driving standards and disability awareness to taxi drivers every three years.

·        the following RECOMMENDATIONS from the Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Improving Disabled People’s Access to Redditch Taxi Fleets Task Group, be approved:

·         Information to be displayed in licensed vehicles for passengers detailing how to make compliments or report complaints.

·         Following the implementation of the legislation locally, on Section 165-167 of the Equality Act 2010 Taxi and Private Hire Passengers in Wheelchairs, a media campaign be conducted to guide disabled people and taxi drivers when travelling by taxi about their rights and responsibilities.

·         Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS) to produce a list of drivers, who consent to having their details published and currently operate licensed Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles, to the next meeting of the Licensing Committee; with the intention to publishing the list on the WRS and Redditch Borough Council websites, once seen by Licensing Committee Members.