Issue - meetings

Questions from members of the public.

Andy Vines and Rasha Mohammed responded to the report and made the following comments:

     i.        The Taxi trade had originally suggested marshals at taxi ranks.

    ii.        However, the marshals provided had been of variable quality and had proved disappointing.

   iii.        Trade feel that CCTV and the introduction of vehicle livery would help but had concerns about the costs.

  iv.        Marshalling in St Andrew’s Street rank had been successful but the market area rank had different issues.

   v.        Food outlet customers mixing with taxi rank customers, and a lack of clarity about how the queue worked, had not been alleviated by the presence of marshals.

Officer’s confirmed the following:

     i.        The Taxi Rank Marshals at St Andrew’s Street had been funded by the Cambridge Bid.

    ii.        In order to provide a unified service across the City, two security service companies had merged in the pre-Christmas period.

   iii.        The combined service had not been successful and the Market Street provision had been poor and would not be paid for.

  iv.        Officers believed that good marshalling could resolve some of the problems of the night economy.

   v.        All marshals were security industry trained and Security Industry Authorised/Authorisation registered.

The Committee received a report from the Licensing & Enforcement Manager regarding the Annual Review of Licensing Fees and Charges 2018-19.

The Committee then debated the Officer’s report.

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

     i.        Further work was needed around the provision of Taxi Rank Marshals and the best way to fund them.

    ii.        Suggested that recommendation 2.1.2 of the Officer’s report be deferred to a later meeting at which point Members would be provided with more information on which to base their decision.

   iii.        A report to the March Licensing Committee would provide a wider view on potential subsidies to encourage the use of electric vehicles and other green initiatives.

Recommendation 2.1.2 of the Officer’s report was withdrawn as Member’s had insufficient information to make a determination.

The Committee:

Resolved (unanimously) to

     i.        Approve the level of fees and charges with effect from 1^st April 2018, as set out in Appendix A of the Officer’s report, and request that officers communicate the charges to the businesses, taxi trade and public.