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Agenda item

HACKNEY CARRIAGE AND PRIVATE HIRE POLICY AMENDMENT - INCLUDING MANDATORY SUBSCRIPTION TO THE DISCLOSURE AND BARRING SERVICE (DBS) UPDATE SERVICE (18.05)

To consider a report of the Group Manager for Public Health and Regulatory Services recommending a number of updates/amendments to the policy.

 

Minutes:

The Committee had before it a *report of the Group Manager for Public Health and Regulatory Services outlining revisions to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy

 

The Specialist Lead Licensing Officer explained to the Committee that the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy was set to be renewed every 3 years but that it was very much a living document and that amendments and improvements were made much more often than this.

 

He further explained that as the Licensing Authority the Council was only allowed to have ‘fit and proper’ drivers but this had not been defined in any statute. The Policy detailed the steps the Council would take to ensure that drivers were ‘fit and proper’ and included the requirements of a medical test, numeracy and English communication tests.

 

He gave an overview of the DBS update service and explained how this would assist officers in identifying any changes to a drivers DBS status immediately without relying on the drivers to report them. He explained how the DBS service operated and that it was a current requirement that the driver physically provided a certificate every 3 years.

 

He further went on to explain the reasoning behind the recommendations to the current policy to Members.

 

In response to questions the Group Manager for Public Health and Regulatory Services explained that if Members wanted to introduce a requirement for drivers to conduct a walk around of their vehicles every day then the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy would need to be updated. He explained that this could be investigated and be brought back to the Committee for a further update to the Policy.

 

It was therefore  RESOLVED that:

 

1.            The implementation of the proposed mandatory subscription to the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Update Service be AGREED. Status checks will, as standard practice, be carried out by the Licensing Team every 6 months on all licensed drivers.

 

(Proposed by Cllr A Wilce and seconded by Cllr D R Coren)

 

2.         The following updates to the policy be AGREED:

 

           Reduce the notification period from 72 hours to 48 hours (i.e. notification of arrests; charges; accidents etc.)

 

           An additional requirement in the ‘Conduct of drivers’ section (in Appendix C of the Policy) which states that drivers should not leave a vehicles engine running for longer than necessary when stationary, particularly at hackney carriage ranks/stands

 

           Add a condition on Combined Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Drivers Licences about the potential requirement to undertake a relevant test (i.e.  English language, numeracy and literacy)

 

           Add a condition on Combined Hackney Carriage / Private Hire Drivers Licences about the requirement to notify the Licensing Authority of any deterioration to health that may affect driving ability and compliance with Group 2 medical standards.

 

           Add a requirement to display stickers or notices within a licensed vehicle which contains details of how customers can make compliments, comments or complaints about the driver and / or vehicle

 

(Proposed by Cllr J M Downes and seconded by Cllr L D Taylor)

 

3.    The introduction of a driver licence ‘handbook’ which provides a brief overview of licensing requirements for licence holders be APPROVED. It was agreed that the specific contents of the document be delegated to Licensing Officers to decide.

 

(Proposed by Cllr J M Downes and seconded by Cllr L D Taylor)

 

4.    The introduction and use of the National Register of Taxi and Private Hire Licence Revocations and Refusals (NR3) be APPROVED. NOTE: This will not be implemented until 2020. 

 

(Proposed by Cllr J M Downes and seconded by Cllr D R Coren)

 

 

Note: *Report previously circulated copy attached to the minutes

 

 

 

 

Supporting documents: