Decision details

The Committee received a report from the Team Manager (Commercial & Licensing).

 

The Officer’s report advised that under the powers conferred to Cambridge City Council under the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, (as amended), Cambridge City Council has responsibility for licensing Hackney Carriage, Private Hire and Dual Licence Drivers as well as vehicle proprietors and Private Hire Operators within the City.

 

The current Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Licensing Handbook, is guidance provided to all drivers, vehicles and operators and was last updated in April 2019.

 

Since January 2019, Licensing officers have noted that some vehicles wishing to be licensed are failing their Certificate of Compliance, due to vehicle rear passenger windows not complying with Cambridge City Council current window tint requirement. As a result, in order for vehicle to be licensed, vehicles are requiring to get their windows replaced.

 

Taxi licensing policies have been implemented to transform the vehicle fleet into a low emission fleet which will lead to a significant reduction in emissions and a significant improvement in air quality in Cambridge.

 

The taxi trade has requested the City Council to reconsider the current tint requirement due to the lack of electric vehicles manufactured in the car market that meet current tint requirements.

 

The taxi trade has also expressed concern during Taxi Trade Forums, over the cost of changing windows, the requirement of purchasing electric vehicles, and the need to install CCTV cameras in their vehicles.

 

Following research, there are several options to Cambridge City Council include:

·       Retain current tint requirement (70% transition/ 30% tint).

·       Have no specification for Taxi window tints.

·       Allow for manufactured window tint up to a specific level of tint, i.e maximum tint of either 70%, 80% or 90%, ensuring complete black out tints are not permitted.

 

In response to Members’ questions the Team Leader (Environmental Health and Licensing Support) said the following:

       i.          Dealers gave conflicting information whether window tint levels recommended by officers would allow licensed drivers a wider choice of vehicles. It was anticipated that 70% tint would do so. Manufactures were changing their specifications over time so the levels of tint in windows may change over time.

     ii.          Officers had no data how many licensed vehicles currently had 70% window tints.

   iii.          Taxis met current specifications. The tint policy would be applied in future if agreed. Officers had kept a list of vehicles that did not meet the current 30% tint maximum and 70% transition requirement, as their windows were much darker. This list includes those vehicles tested at Certificate of Compliance since April 2019, that had failed there Certificate of Compliance in regards to dark tinted windows. Once members had decided on new tint requirement, these vehicle owners would be contacted regarding what was required of their vehicle windows.

   iv.          (Reference agenda pack P29). All listed Toyota cars met current licensing policy and should meet/exceed future tint policy ones.

    v.          The window tint policy would be applied to vehicles when they were being tested for their Certificate of Compliance (not required before). Depending what rear window specification was agreed by Members, vehicles would be required to comply with this at their next Certificate of Compliance test.

   vi.          The policy to require installation of CCTV in licensed vehicles was agreed in 2017, but its implementation had been delayed.

 

Councillor Johnson suggested amending recommendation 2.4 to remove the word “no”, to avoid a double negative.

 

2.4 No film tinted windows will not be approved to be licensed.

 

The amendment was unanimously agreed.

 

In response to Councillor Johnson’s amendment the Team Leader proposed the following amendment which was agreed.

 

2.3 Only vehicles with manufactured tinted windows, meeting up to above standard will be approved to be licensed.

 

 

The Committee:

 

Considered and unanimously approved the following change to current Taxi Window tint specification:

       i.          70% window tint maximum and 30% transition minimum for rear passenger windows (as per Appendix E of the Officer’s report).

     ii.          Only vehicles with manufactured tinted windows, up to above standard will be approved to be licensed.

   iii.          Film tinted windows will not be approved to be licensed.

   iv.          Front windscreen and Front passenger and driver windows to meet national legal requirement.