Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from the Environmental Health Manager, which advised that a new Hackney Carriage Demand Survey was required to determine whether a significant unmet demand continued to exist in the city.

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

      i.         Asked for clarification that a demand survey had to be undertaken to provide evidence that there was no ‘un-met’ need in Cambridge for Hackney Carriage vehicle licences and this would be the way to potentially retain the current limit on the number of Hackney Carriage Vehicle licences which could be issued.

    ii.         Noted that the advance in technology of motorised scooters meant that some vehicles were unable to accommodate certain types of wheelchairs and scooters.

   iii.         Asked if the taxi trade had recovered enough since the pandemic for a robust picture of ‘demand’ to be provided.

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

      i.         Confirmed that in order to maintain a certain limit on vehicle licences a Hackney Carriage Demand Survey needed to be undertaken.

    ii.         Also confirmed that a review regarding accessibility of the vehicle fleet needed to be undertaken to ensure that there were enough accessible Private Hire Vehicles.

   iii.         It was difficult to comment whether the taxi trade had recovered enough since the pandemic for a Hackney Carriage Demand Survey to be undertaken. The report sought to gain authority to procure a contractor. The contractor may be better placed to advise. A full and thorough consultation exercise would be undertaken. 

The Committee:

Resolved (unanimously) to:

        i.       Instruct officers to procure and implement a new Hackney Carriage Demand Survey to determine whether there is a significant unmet demand in the City, and to bring the results and recommendations to Licensing Committee in January 2023.

       ii.        Instruct officers as part of the demand survey, to review the accessibility policy in relation to the Hackney Carriage Vehicles and to bring the results and recommendations to Licensing Committee in January 2023.