Issue - meetings

Mr David Wratten spoke on behalf of CCLT and explained that 34 vehicles would need to be removed from the fleet early as a result of the policy adopted by the committee in June 2012. An extension to the deadline to December 2014 for phasing out Euro 3 vehicles was requested. The committee were advised of the financial implications for individuals if being required to replace vehicles early.

 

The Chair clarified with Mr Wratten the number of affected vehicles. It was noted that due to the nature of adapted vehicles there was often a lag time between a vehicle being constructed and registered.

 

The committee received a report regarding emission standards for taxi vehicles.

 

The committee made the following comments on the report and letter circulated by Mr Wratten.

 

i.        The Air Quality Action Area was adopted in 2004, and the adopted policy was designed to support this.

 

ii.       It was noted that in the event of the vehicles being removed from the fleet, they were still eligible to be licensed as private hire vehicles in South Cambridgeshire and were likely to continue to operate in the city.

 

iii.          Sympathy was expressed for the owners of the affected vehicles. The relative impact of Euro 3, 4 and 5 was explained to the committee.

 

iv.      The assertion that the 34 vehicles were a small part of the trade was challenged.

 

v.       The importance of giving drivers proper notice and not imposing changes, which have retrospective implications, was highlighted.

 

Following discussion it was agreed to amend the recommendations to (changes marked as strikethroughs and red text)

 

2.1 Members are recommended to adopt a policy to address air quality, as follows:

 

i) a new vehicle licence will not be granted in respect of a vehicle unless it is less than 4 years old and either registered after 1st September 2009 or meets the Euro 5 standard or higher.

 

The implementation date will be the 8th October 2012 1^st December 2014

 

ii) A vehicle licence will not be renewed unless the vehicle is less than 9 years old and meets the Euro 4 standard or higher. The implementation date will be 1st September 2013 December 2014

 

 

2.2 Members are recommended to adopt a policy for renewals during a transitional period between the 8th October 2012 and 1st September 2013 as follows:

 

No vehicle will be relicensed after its the 8th birthday anniversary of its first registration.

 

In response to a question from the committee, Mr Wratten explained that the trade would try and support the vehicles affected by the revised policy, but it was unclear at this stage what this would involve.

 

Resolved (Unanimously) to adopt a policy to address air quality.

 

i.        A new vehicle licence will not be granted in respect of a vehicle unless it is less than 4 years old and either registered after 1st September 2009 or meets the Euro 5 standard or higher. The implementation date will be the 1^st December 2014

 

ii.       A vehicle licence will not be renewed unless the vehicle is less than 9 years old and meets the Euro 4 standard or higher. The implementation date will be 1st December 2014.

 

iii.          During a transitional period between the 8^th October 2012 and 1^st October, no vehicle will be re-licensed after the 8^th anniversary of its first registration.