Issue - decisions

The Committee received a report from the Environmental Health Manager.

 

The report advised that 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 had responsibility for licensing Hackney Carriage, Private Hire and Dual Licence Drivers as well as vehicle proprietors and Private Hire Operators within the City.

 

The current Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Licensing Policy (the ‘policy’) applies to all drivers, vehicles and operators and was last updated in October 2016.

 

Following two separate periods of consultation in July 2017 and March 2018, at Full Licensing Committee on 9th July 2018 Members agreed, in part, on the specification for a Livery for Hackney Carriage Vehicles.

 

Members agreed to the vehicle base colour for Hackney Carriage Vehicles, the exclusion of said base colour for Private Hire Vehicles and also the implementation plan.

 

Members were requested to review the additional Livery proposals and determine what the Livery for Cambridge City Council Hackney Carriages should be, along with the date from which this will take effect.

 

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

       i.          Some Councillors expressed support for the ‘Cambridge Blue’ Solid Strip.

     ii.          Some Councillors expressed support for the ‘Grass’ Green Solid Strip. It would be a colour scheme that would clearly distinguish Cambridge taxis from other Operators. Plus it would be easier to see for visually impaired people than other colours eg ‘Cambridge Blue’ Solid Strip. This colour green would match the green colour used on other council vehicles.

   iii.          Inebriated people were likely to get into any taxi with a sign/light on its roof. Distinguishing features such as a crest and unique colours would be needed to separate City taxis from other Operators.

   iv.          The Chequered Strip would be unsuitable for taxis as it looked too much like an emergency vehicle.

    v.          Suggested Cambridge City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council worked together in future on a reciprocal licensing arrangement. For example, Cambridge City Council would register silver private hire vehicles and South Cambridgeshire District Council would register white private hire vehicles.

 

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

       i.          There was another Operator who used the ‘Cambridge Blue’ Solid Strip already. Another colour was advisable as the city wanted taxis to be unique and distinguishable. This is why silver had been chosen as the taxi base colour on 9 July 2018, as other Operators used colours such as black or white for their main taxi vehicle colours.

     ii.          The Environmental Health Manager would liaise with South Cambridgeshire District Council Licensing Officers about aligning policies. This was not a commitment that could be made at Committee today – the decision was about city taxi stripe width and colour. (South Cambridgeshire District Council had already decided their livery colours.) The City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council were starting to co-operate already.

 

The Legal Advisor said a licensing policy agreement between the City Council and South Cambridgeshire District Council may not be legally enforceable, and so could only act as guidance. As such it may not be a good use of resources to implement.

 

The Committee:

The Chair decided that the recommendations highlighted in the Officer’s report should be voted on and recorded separately.

 

       i.          That the ‘wrap’ of two gloss stripes, one placed either side of the vehicle (running horizontally from the front of the vehicle to the back of the vehicle) should be one of the following colour/designs:

a.              Solid Black Strip - Resolved (by 10 votes to 1) to refuse.

b.              ‘Cambridge Blue’ Solid Strip - Resolved (by 7 votes to 3) to refuse.

c.              Yellow and Black Chequered Strip - Resolved (unanimously) to refuse.

d.              ‘Grass’ Green Solid Strip - Resolved (by 6 votes to 3) to accept.

 

Resolved (unanimously):

 

     ii.          That the stripes must be fitted along the side of the vehicle and should follow the natural line of the vehicle.

   iii.          That the stripe should have a break on any part of it, on the front passenger and driver doors, to allow for the positioning of the crests.

   iv.          For Multi-Seater Vehicles, the stripe must be a thickness of 6 inches (150mm).

    v.          For Saloon Vehicles, the stripe must be a thickness of 4 inches (100mm).

   vi.          That the changes in policy would follow the previously set down implementation plan as agreed on 9 July 2018 and would take effect from 1 January 2019.