Agenda item

Members discussed a report which presented the Review of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy. The purpose of the report was to present a revised draft policy for Members to consider and amend as necessary. Officers would then undertake consultation with the trade and other relevant stakeholders.

The Department for Transport published its’ Statutory Standards for Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Vehicles in the summer of 2020 and the expectations of the Government were emphasised throughout the document in bold.

The Principal Licensing Officer responded to questions about the following areas of the proposed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy. 

DBS Update Service

·         All Licensed drivers were required to sign up to the DBS Update Services and maintain their registration throughout the licensed period. This had enabled the Council to undertake periodic checks at least every 6 months, in accordance with the Statutory Taxi and Private hire Vehicle Standards. 

·         Licensed drivers who had failed to register with the update service, or who had allowed their registration to lapse would have been required to provide a new enhanced certificate every six months

·         Where the Council were unable to check the drivers status due to failings on the part of the driver, it may suspend the driver’s license until such time as it is satisfied that there is no new information recorded against the driver

·         Licensed drivers would be required to inform the council within 48 hours of any arrests and release, charge or conviction of any sexual offence, any offence involving dishonesty or violence or any motoring offence.

·         If there had been any change to the information held by the DBS, the driver would be required to provide a new certificate to the council and register that once with the update service.

Members discussed if drivers had been signing up to the DBS Update Service, and were informed that the majority of drivers initially sign up for the update service, but in subsequent years had allowed their registration to lapse for various reasons. The DBS update service does issue reminders to drivers to renew their registration, but if the drivers contact details have change and they have not notified the DBS of the changes, they will not receive those reminders

English Proficiency

·         The Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Stands 202 had identified that a lack of language proficiency could impact the drivers ability to understand written documents such as policies  and guidance, relation to the protection of the children and vulnerable adults. Oral proficiency would also be relevant in the identification of potential exploitation through communication with passengers.

·         The Council were required that all applicants for new drivers licenses were required to demonstrate their language proficiency by providing evidence of formal qualifications such as GCSE, GCE, Functional Skills Level 1 or 2 in English or ESOL certificate at Level 1 or 2.

·         Applicants who did not hold any formal qualifications in English were required to undertake a free skills assessment provided by Blackburn Adult Learning services and provide evidence they had passed the assessment.

The Principal Licensing Officer advised members that the Council were working with Blackburn College to allow low income drivers to be enrolled on to a ESOL course for free.

Members agreed with the policy and felt that it may create barriers if a licensed driver was unable to speak English.

Councillor Tasleem Fazal suggested that the requirement to know English should not be made mandatory from the beginning, as drivers should be given the chance to be enrolled on to a course whilst still being a licensed driver.

Driver Training and Knowledge Test

Applicants for a new drivers licence are required to pass the Blackburn with Darwen Knowledge Test. The safeguarding element of this training is proposed to be provided by a specialist third party provider who only provide the training and tests in English.

Members were informed that the training is delivered online however applicants are required to provide identification at the start of the session and keep their web cameras on throughout the training and the test at the end.

The policy also proposes to introduce emission standards for new vehicles

 which would have to meet the following emission standards.

Euro 4 Emission Limits(petrol)              Euro 6 Emission Limits(diesel)

CO- 1.0g/km                                               CO – 0.50g/km

HC- 0.10 g/km                                            HC+NOx- 0.17 g/km           

NOx – 0.08                                                 NOx – 0.08g/km

PM – No Limit                                             PM – 0.005 g/km                

                                                                    PM -6.0X10^11/km

Members were provided a handout providing the figures of the fuel types of Blackburn with Darwen Hackney and Private Hire Drivers Vehicles.

Members discussed the impact the emission standards would have on drivers but did conclude that emission standard would not cause a major issues for drivers due to a large proportion of drivers changing or owning hybrid Vehicles which are compliant with Euro 4 and Euro 6.

Roadworthiness

Members were informed that the Council would not issue a vehicle licence for any vehicle that had been written off by insurers under Category A, B or S.

·         A relates to vehicles that must be scrapped

·         B relates to vehicles that may be broken and their parts reused

·         S relates to vehicles that have sustained structural damage that is repairable

Disclosure and Barring Service checks by Private Hire Operators

In accordance with the Statutory Guidance, the Council will require applicants to provide a recent basic DBS certificate before a private hire operator’s licence would be granted and to get basic disclosure certificates for their employees who dispatch drivers and vehicles.

The Principal Licensing Officer informed the Members that the duty would be with the operator to ensure that the necessary checks had been completed in respect of dispatch staff, in line with their own policy.

Members discussed the draft policy, and agreed to begin consultation subject to one amendment to include reference to the Council only licensing vehicles with 4 road wheels.

The results of the consultation exercise would be fed back to the next meeting.

Resolved –

1. That Members feedback on their views to the contents of the draft policy be noted and that any further comments be fed back to officers.

2. That the outcome of the consultation exercise is reported back to the next scheduled meeting of the Licensing Committee.