Agenda item

The Committee received a report on the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Annual Review.  Prior to service alignment following the creation of the new Unitary Council in April 2020 and the implementation of the Council’s new Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, the Licensing Service committed to providing reports to the Licensing Committee related to service delivery and policy impact.  This was the second annual report, focusing on the period 1 October 2022 through to 30 September 2023. 

The report provided an overview of application outcomes, an update on enforcement activity, key changes to service provision and improvements in service delivery, legislative changes and other matters considered to be of relevance or interest to the Committee such as communication with the trade, updates on safeguarding training and English language assessments.   The report also contained an overview of hackney carriage and private hire related matters on the horizon that were likely to impact the service and the trade over the coming year. Financial considerations such as income, expenditure and other budgetary matters had been excluded from the report.  A separate report was being prepared for consideration by the Licensing Committee at a future meeting and this information would form the basis for licence fee review.  

As part of the introduction to the report, the Principal Licensing Officer explained that an error had been made in the information provided in appendices 1 and 2, as not all the information for the month of October 2022 had been included.   Updated versions of appendices 1 and 2, which included all the October 2022 information, were circulated to Members of the Committee at the meeting. These would be made available on the Council’s website. The Principal Licensing Officer went through the report highlighting the updated information and an updated copy of the report, showing this updated information, would also be made available on the Council’s website. 

Members were invited to ask questions of officers. A Member asked what the difference was between a renewal and a new licence application and whether new applications were made by new drivers. In response, officers explained that licences were granted for 3 years and drivers were required to renew their licence before the 3 years expired.  Often drivers, for whatever reasons, despite receiving reminders from the Council, did not reapply on time.  If a driver did not apply by the expiry date, they were required to apply for a new licence. Therefore, not all new applications were made by drivers who were new to the trade. 

A Member expressed concern over the number of offences being carried out by drivers in the trade. Officers explained that there was a national picture around the hackney and private hire trade where a minority of people working in those trades had been associated with criminal activity, particularly around child sexual exploitation.  As a result of this, the Department for Transport published new standards for taxi and private hire vehicles in July 2020 with the aim of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults from abuse and exploitation.  The Council had implemented everything within that statutory guidance in its new Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy.  The report being presented showed that the Council acted in a robust, consistent and thorough manner to ensure public safety.  Public safety was the primary consideration when making licence decisions concerning the licensing of drivers, vehicles and operators.   It was also important to note the offences being committed by drivers were being carried out by a minority of drivers and that the vast majority of drivers in Buckinghamshire were law abiding citizens who carried out their role in an effective way. 

A Member commented that there was an issue in High Wycombe with a number of hackney carriage and private hire vehicles parking on pavements and on corners in breach of highway code rules 243 and 244. The Member asked officers whether the licensing service would be able to take action if it was sent photos of vehicles breaching these rules. In response, officers advised that they would encourage anyone to report a vehicle, which was in breach of the highway code. A significant number of complaints the service received were related to parking matters and every complaint received was thoroughly investigated. 

In response to a question, regarding whether there had been an increase or decrease in the numbers of drivers who had been refused a licence compared to last year, officers advised that there has been a slight increase in the number of drivers who had been refused a licence this year compared to last year.  There had been an increase in the number of applications received overall this year compared to last year and therefore a slight increase in the number of drivers who had been refused a licence was not unexpected. 

RESOLVED that the report be noted.