Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from the Environmental Health Manager.

The report advised 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 Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing policy (the ‘policy’) was produced in order to provide the Council, its officers, the trade and the public with appropriate guidelines that put the Council’s licensing requirements into practice in a clear and transparent manner.

The current Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Licensing Policy (the ‘policy’) applies to all drivers, vehicles and operators and was last updated in October 2017.

Subsequent feedback from the trade, and also from officers when imparting information, has highlighted a requirement to review and update minor elements of the policy in order to make specific items clear and understandable.

Officers have reviewed the feedback and have considered the proposed updates, in line with the taxi licensing policy of South Cambridgeshire District Council in order to seek opportunity where the policies can be harmonised.

Members were requested to review the updated draft policy and determine what, if any, changes should be made to the policy.

In response to Members’ questions the Environmental Health Manager said the following:

       i.          If the policy were accepted, drivers would not be able to apply for both City Council and South Cambridgeshire taxi licences.

     ii.          Officers would investigate if drivers declared on their application form that they held another licence too.

The Committee made the following comments in response to the report:

       i.          As long as the triple lock was in evidence, drivers could operate anywhere in the country.

     ii.          The Council could not stop drivers being licensed elsewhere once licensed by Cambridge city Council.

The Committee:

Resolved (unanimously) to agree the following proposed changes are to be made to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy:

       i.          To stipulate the prohibition of licensing Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Vehicles that are also licensed with other authorities.

     ii.          To clarify the existing condition relating to licensed Private Hire Vehicle door signs to state that the vehicle must display on the driver and front passenger door, in a prominent position, the name and contact information of the Operator fulfilling the booking.

   iii.          To reduce the number of Knowledge Test attempts that a new driver applicant can undertake from 4 to 3 so that it aligns with the existing 3 attempts of the Safeguarding Awareness Tests for existing licence holders.