Meeting documents

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2018.

RESOLVED –

That the Minutes of the meeting held on 11 December 2018 be approved as a correct record.

For Members to consider the attached report.

Contact officer: Simon Gallacher 01296 585083

At the outset of the meeting, it was clarified that the item related to the possibility of licensing a motorised tricycle for private hire work and not the limitation policy in respect to Aylesbury Town. There were also a couple of technical changes to made to the report which included Page 7, 3.2: 1.5 Mitsubishi engines are used, not 1.6 Ford Focus Zetechs.

AVDC currently had a policy in place surrounding the licensing of novelty-type vehicles which meant that additional scrutiny was in place. As per the report, several aspects of licensing needed consideration which included: License & badge display, age requirements, MOTs and mechanical condition, safety, and suitability for use as a private hire vehicle.

Ashley Frazer from Chiltern Trikes attended the meeting to provide some further information regarding the licensing proposal and the business. The trike to be used would be brand new and cost in the region of £33,000 with further costs involved for modification. The trike would be classed as a car by the DVLA which meant that there was no requirement for passengers to wear a helmet however passengers would be required to by the business. Passengers would be invited to wear helmets provided by the business as they had Bluetooth integrated to allow communication between the driver and passenger(s). The trike would also have a rollover bar, restraints, seatbelts, 1kg dry powder fire extinguisher and a first aid kit. The business was directly comparable to Yorkshire Trikes, which had been set-up in 2012, and Mr Frazer had been in liaison with the Yorkshire Trikes owner regarding the Licensing process.

The Committee had questions for officers and Mr Frazer and were advised that:-

      i.        The trike could reach speeds of 70mph however it would not suitable for it to travel at this speed when touring. It was found that travelling in excess of 55mph led to impaired communication between the driver and passenger(s). The maximum passenger weight was 17½ stone.

     ii.        The Committee were asked to consider the application due to the additional scrutiny stipulated in the council’s policy and also to allow the full information and accompanying report to be in the public domain.

    iii.        Whilst it was theoretically possible for assistant dogs to accompany a passenger on the trike, in practice this was not advisable due to the need to safely restrain the dog. In the FAQ section on the company’s website would be a disclaimer regarding disabilities and agreeing to certain conditions when booking the tour.

   iv.        The standard licence application requirements would be necessary for the trike driver, which included: a driving assessment, DBS checks plus the new English Language and knowledge assessment and Safeguarding training (once these come into effect).  AVDC operated a penalty point system in the Vale and this would apply to the trike driver.

    v.        There was a requirement for all under 18s to be accompanied by an adult.

   vi.        All passengers would have a safety briefing prior to the tour commencing. This would include instruction to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.

Members are asked to note the Licensing meetings are scheduled for 2019 as follows:

Monday 18 March

Tuesday 28 May

Monday 8 July

Monday 9 September

Monday 4 November

RESOLVED –

That the meetings scheduled for 2019 be noted.