Agenda item

Following on from the Licensing Committee meeting held on 6^th November 2017, and in light of feedback received from taxi drivers at the recent Taxi Liaison Forum, Members received a report inviting them to give further consideration to the additional requirements introduced in relation to driver training and testing. 

As set out at paragraphs 3.5 to 3.7 of the report, at their meeting on 6^th November 2017 the Licensing Committee had decided to amend the policy for the licensing of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire drivers with effect from 01 December 2017.  Specifically, the Members had introduced a new requirement for licensed drivers to undertake disability awareness training and driving standards assessments every three years. It was noted that these changes had been introduced in response to recommendations from the Overview and Scrutiny Board, Improving Disabled Peoples Access to Redditch Taxi Fleet Task Group.

The subsequent discussion focused on the advantages to the public and to the drivers of the new requirements for disability awareness training and driving standards assessments, as opposed to the cost, and whether this could be regarded as burdensome for the drivers under the amended policy.  Two members of the Licensing Committee who had been involved in the scrutiny task group emphasised the importance of the work of the task group in highlighting problems with transport that disabled residents had been experiencing.  It was further noted that the level of general awareness around the needs of disabled passengers appeared to have been raised with better engagement now with the drivers through the Redditch Taxi Association.

The Senior Practitioner (Licensing) Worcestershire Regulatory Services (‘WRS’) explained to the Committee that there were 2 main areas of concern that had been raised by the Redditch Taxi Association on behalf of their members.  These were firstly, the cost of having to attend the training and the time element involved which for taxi drivers would equate to a loss of earnings.  Secondly, that the taxi drivers felt the imposition of the new requirements was disproportionate and unjustified. 

In further discussion members noted the following points:-

·         That the amended rules introduced on 01 December 2017 would have financial implications for the taxi drivers and this in turn raised issues about affordability;

·         That there may be other alternatives such as not charging for the training/assessments, or only charging on the first occasion for each driver;

·         That a different approach would be to target the training to situations where there had been concerns or complaints, as opposed to making the training a standard requirement for all drivers.

Members commented on the need to have more information about financial implications before making any decision to change the policy. Legal advice was given that any amendments to the policy would have to be consulted on.  As to funding, the SPL advised members that the training was provided externally and that this would have to be taken into consideration in relation to any changes to the fee arrangements.

Members were in agreement that further information was needed to enable them to discuss alternative options at a future meeting.

RESOLVED that

1.            Officers be tasked to investigate:-

(i)            alternative ways of funding the disability awareness training and driver assessment tests (as opposed to drivers paying the fees); and

(ii)          all options regarding the targeting of disability awareness training/driver assessment tests

2.            That officers provide a report on the outcome of these investigations to the Licensing Committee.