L.09/22
Members considered a report that provided details of the range
of measures set out in the Department for Transport (DfT) Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle
Standards published in 2020 that the DfT expected to be implemented by all Licensing
Authorities unless there is a compelling local reason not
to.
In
discussion, the following points were raised:
a)
Officers
confirmed that the draft policy required licence holders to report
any offence or police caution regardless of it being for specific
driving offences;
b)
When
questioned, officers advised that the ability for passengers to be
accompanied by their pets was a decision within the discretion of a
licence holder;
c)
With
regard to the views of licence holders, officers informed that
these changes had been widely publicised within the profession and
were therefore anticipated by drivers.
It
was then:
RESOLVED:
1.
That the content of the Department for Transport
Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards (the DFT
Standards) be noted;
2.
That the following proposed changes to the Hackney
Carriage and Private Hire Policy be made:-
a)
That Appendix A of the draft Policy (as presented to
the Committee) be amended to align the Hackney Carriage and Private
Hire Licensing Criminal Convictions Policy with the
‘Institute of Licensing – Guidance on determining the
suitability of applicants and licensees in the hackney and private
hire trades’;
b)
That applications be reviewed against the National
Register of Revocations and Refusals (Part 1, Para 10.9 of the
published agenda report refers);
c)
That referral to the barred list where the
individual is thought to present a risk of harm to a child or
vulnerable adult (Part 1, Para 10.11 of the published agenda report
refers);
d)
That a requirement be introduced for a tax
conditionality check as part of the application process (HMRC
requirement from 4 April 2022);
e)
That the notification period for Licence Holders /
Applicants to notify the Licensing Authority of arrest / conviction
/ caution etc be amended from 5 days to
48 hours;
f)
That a requirement for vehicle proprietors to
provide a basic DBS certificate as part of the application process
be introduced (Part 2, Para 26.1 of the published agenda report
refers);
g)
That a mandatory requirement to display a “How
to complain” sticker within Licenced vehicles be introduced
(Part 2, Para 28.4 of the published agenda report
refers);
h)
That, with effect from 1 April 2023, a requirement
be introduced for private hire operators to obtain a basic DBS
disclosure certificate for all controllers (call handling and
dispatching staff) and a written policy on employing ex-offenders
be adopted (Part 2, Paras 41.6 - 41.7 of the published agenda
report refers);
i)
That additional record keeping requirements for
private hire operators be introduced from 1 April 2023 (Part 2,
Para 48.1 of the published agenda report refers); and
3. That Council be RECOMMENDED that
the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy, as amended, be
adopted.