Decision details

Members will be asked to agree the basis for determining the medical fitness of drivers.

The Committee received a report from the Licensing & Enforcement Manager.

The report advised that as part of the checks that the City Council undertakes to ensure that drivers of Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles are fit and proper people to be licensed, they must pass a medical examination from time to time.

The Officer’s report reviewed the present arrangements for the undertaking of medical examinations and proposed an alternative arrangement.

In response to the Officer’s report Councillors sought clarification if other C1 category drivers must also pass a medical examination from time to time.

In response to Members’ questions the Licensing & Enforcement Manager and the Environmental Health Manager said the following:

       i.          Two Clinical Commissioning Groups covered the Greater Cambridge area. They would act as central contact points for medical examinations.

     ii.          Every taxi driver must undertake a health check:

·       Before obtaining a licence.

·       Every 5 years between the ages of 45 – 65.

·       Annually post 65.

   iii.          Options would be built into the consultation to cover cases where a GP could not be contacted for test/results.

Councillors requested a change to recommendation (iii) - 2.2b in the Officer’s report. Councillor Saunders formally proposed to amend the following recommendation from the Officer’s report (amendments shown as struck through text):

To report back to Licensing Sub-Committee the results of the consultations, to enable a decision to be taken as to the future policy with regard to medical checks.

The Committee unanimously approved this amended recommendation.

The Committee:

Resolved (unanimously) to:

       i.          Change the present arrangements for determining the medical fitness of taxi and private hire drivers

     ii.          Instruct officers to consult with the taxi trade and the representatives of general practitioners about the proposed change.

   iii.          Ask Officers to report back to Licensing Committee the results of the consultations, to enable a decision to be taken as to the future policy with regard to medical checks.