Agenda item

Further consideration of the results of the earlier consultation on 'Improving Disabled People's Access to Redditch Taxi Fleets' Task Group

Minutes:

Following on from the Licensing Committee meeting held on 6th March 2017, Members received a further update with regard to the “Improving Disabled People’s Access to Redditch Taxi Fleets” consultation document produced by Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS).

 

During the meeting held on 6th March 2017, Members had expressed their concern with regard to the following:-

 

·         Redditch Taxi Association (RTA) had suggested in their response to the consultation that not all licensed drivers had received the additional consultation document so were therefore unable to respond.

·         The low level number of responses received to the consultation from the relevant agencies.  Members requested that officers clarified that all relevant agencies, as listed below, had been 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

 

The Senior Practitioner (Licensing), WRS, introduced the report and in doing so informed the Committee that despite requests being made by Licensing Officers, WRS, RTA had not provided details of any of the licence holders who had not received the consultation document when originally distributed. 

 

Officers were also able to confirm that, after liaising with the Council’s Engagement and Equalities Advisor, all of the agencies as detailed in the preamble above had been given the opportunity to respond to the consultation document. 

 

Therefore officers were of the opinion that any further consultation with licence holders or agencies was an unnecessary step to take.

 

Members commented that officers had done as much as possibly with regard to liaising with RTA.  They were also pleased to note that, despite the low responses received, that all of the relevant agencies had been given the opportunity to respond to the consultation document.

 

The Senior Practitioner (Licensing), WRS, responded to questions from Members and explained that the number of licensed hackney carriages had stayed constant for the last few years.  By lowering the required age to allow new applications for hackney carriages to be made for vehicles less than six years old, it was hoped that this would incentivise licensed drivers to purchase suitable vehicles at a lower cost.  It was envisaged that as a result of this policy change that there would be an increase in the number of wheelchair accessible hackney carriages in the borough.

 

Members suggested that should the implementation of the legislation locally, on Section 165-167 of the Equality Act 2010, as detailed in Minute Number 5, be approved by Council; that any media campaign conducted included additional information with regard to assistance dogs and the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) Guidance be included so that licensed drivers and passengers were aware of their role and responsibilities when travelling by taxi.

 

RESOLVED that

 

a)    the Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licensing Policy be amended 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; and

 

b)   the Driver Licence Policy be amended to require that refresher training be provided on driving standards and disability awareness to taxi drivers every three years.

Supporting documents: