Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from the Environmental Health Manager regarding proposed amendments to the Cambridge City Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy following a review of the Department for Transport “Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing: Best Practice Guidance for licensing authorities in England” (November 2023).

The Environmental Health Manager noted that recommendation 2 proposed that officers went out to consultation on the following paragraphs within the Policy namely: 15.13, 17.1, 17.7ii, 33.5. There was a typographical error in Appendix 2 referring to18.7ii which should have been to 17.7ii.   

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

      i.         Noted concerns raised regarding assistance dogs. The Equality Act required taxis to transport assistance dogs, but officers would need to investigate how assistance dogs were defined, and National Guidance would be taken in account. The main objective of the Policy was that it was a requirement for drivers to transport assistance dogs.

    ii.         Noted comments made around assistance dogs wearing different colours depending on the additional need of their companion. Officers could consider whether a guide could be produced for drivers setting out the different coloured jackets (tabards) assistance dogs wore. 

   iii.         Noted concerns raised regarding Licensing Sub Committees being held with only 2 councillors. Advised that officers would try to arrange for 3 councillors to sit on a Sub Committee but in some circumstances, it wasn’t possible due to councillor availability.  

  iv.         Although the Policy stated at paragraph 15.4 that all new hackney carriage vehicles (plate numbers 121 to 441) had to be wheelchair accessible, 50% of these vehicles were able to change their vehicle from a wheelchair accessible vehicle to a zero emission (non-wheelchair accessible) vehicle in order to promote the Council’s Air Quality Action Plan. The 50% allowance of zero emission (non-wheelchair accessible) vehicles had now been reached therefore any new hackney carriage vehicle had to be a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

    v.         It was noted that there were only 321 hackney carriage vehicle licences but due to administration practices when a vehicle licence was surrendered the next sequential number was used to issue a new licence rather than the number which was surrendered being reissued. This was why the vehicle plate numbers was currently at 441 and not 321.

  vi.         Paragraph 6.13 within Appendix 2 was one of the conditions officers proposed to consult the trade / public on, should members approve the officer’s recommendation. The Statutory Guidance advised that drivers should undertake a condition check of their vehicle before each shift. How this was undertaken and what would be included in the vehicle check was proposed to be consulted upon.

The Committee:

Resolved (unanimously) to:

      i.         Approve the minor changes made to the Policy as per the tracked changes in Appendix 1 of the Officer’s report.

    ii.         Agree for officers to go out to consult on the proposed changes to the Policy as detailed in Appendix 2 of the Officer’s report.