Issue - meetings

Report of Director of Community Protection

John Davis, Taxi Licensing Compliance Manager, presented the report on the Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Licensing Policy & Procedures Manual. The following points were highlighted:

(a)  the Department for Transport published the ‘Statutory Taxi & Private Hire Standards’  (“the Statutory Standards”) in July 2020, which recommend that all licensing authorities make publicly available a cohesive policy document that brings together all their procedures on taxi and private hire vehicle licensing.

(b)  the principal purpose of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy & Procedures Manual is to consolidate current policies and good practice guidance into a single document that aligns with the Statutory Standards and is easier to access so as to facilitate compliance. The aim is to emphasise the importance of the Standards in underpinning safeguarding to protect the vulnerable and promote public safety;

(c)  the Council will recognise the policy manual as a method to be clear about the standards the authority expects in carrying out its Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licensing function. The key issues that the policy manual promotes are:

·  protecting the public, safeguarding children / the vulnerable and prevention of crime / disorder;

·  the health and safety of the public and drivers;

·  vehicle safety, comfort and access;

·  encouraging environmental sustainability;

(d)  in promoting these licensing aims and objectives, the Council expect to see all licence holders and applicants continuously demonstrate they meet or exceed the standards set by the Authority;

(e)  In bringing existing policies into one document it is not the intention that they are re-adopted hence the consultation process will only relate to those parts of the Manual which are new or where change is proposed. It is therefore recommended that the Policy and Procedures Manual (save for appendices A-B and I-Q, which reflect already adopted policies and procedures) be released for consultation.

In the discussion which followed and in response to questions from the Committee, the following points were made:

(f)  Some members of the Committee felt that the installation of CCTV is to be encouraged, as it increases the safety of both passengers and drivers. Mr Davis confirmed that CCTV  is not being made mandatory at this stage. Very few Councils have made CCTV compulsory due to issues around data protection. This may be revisited in the future but will be a large piece of work;

(g)  if a driver wishes to fit CCTV, they can, but the proposed revised conditions will require it to be fitted properly and in accordance with industry standards set out in the Manual. Currently a lot of drivers use dash cams facing out, but they do not meet ICO data protection regulations. CCTV should record at all times rather than being able to be switched off and on by the driver at will. It should run for a period of time after the ignition is switched off rather than ending straight away. It should not record audio at all times due to data protection issues, but there should be an additional button the driver can press  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10