Decision details

Consideration of a proposal to re-introduce a cap on the number of hackney carriage licences.

The Committee received a report from the Licensing and Enforcement Manager regarding limiting the number if Hackney Carriage Licenses.

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

       i.          The committee was being asked to instruct officers to simply investigate the feasibility and cost of the study.

     ii.          The previous study was funded by the taxi trade and cost in the region of £15,000.

   iii.          CCLT had responded to the previous study and a number of individual responses had also been received.

   iv.          A limit on the number of licences would not necessarily result in fewer taxis.

    v.          There were currently 309 Hackney Carriage licences in the City and 180 Private Hire licences.

   vi.          South Cambs District Council currently had 800 Private Hire licences that were able to trade anywhere in the country. 

 vii.          There was no provision in law for local authorities to limit the number of Private Hire vehicles.

At the request of the Chair, and with the agreement of members, Mr Wratten addressed the committee and made the following points:

       i.          The CCLT response to the last study represented the views of 75% of the taxi trade – a total of 225 drivers.

     ii.          Any policy needed to be effectively managed and reviewed every 3 years.

Members noted that this was just the start of the process and further detailed discussions would be ongoing.

The Committee:

Resolved (unanimously) to:

      i.          Instruct Officers to investigate the feasibility of carrying out a study to establish if there is evidence that there is no significant demand for Hackney Carriages that is unmet.

    ii.          Instruct Officers to investigate the costing of     such a study and to obtain approval from the Executive Councillor for Environment, Waste and Public Health for funding, to carry out a study, through the Council’s budget process.