Issue - meetings

The Director of Neighbourhood Services submitted a report that detailed the results of the engagement exercise that had been conducted with the East Herts hackney carriage and private hire drivers, proprietors and operators.

The Chairman expressed his thanks to Officers for producing such an excellent report.

The licence holders had raised a number of issues at the workshops as follows:

·               Ranks

·               Enforcement

·               Taxi Marshals

·               Knowledge test

·               Limiting number of vehicles

·               Fares

·               Licensing points scheme

·               Policy issues

The Committee considered all the points raised, as summarised in the report now submitted.  Members gave consideration to those issues they believed should go out for full consultation with the hackney carriage and private hire licence holders, operators and other stakeholders.  The Committee also considered which issues should be looked at further by Officers.

The Committee agreed that full consultation should be undertaken on the suggestions that the knowledge test should be made harder and that private hire applicants should have to sit one.  It was also agreed that the consultation should include the issue of advertising on vehicles.

In respect of the suggestions on ranks, Officers were requested to consider the suggestions made, except for the one relating to the pedestrianised part of Railway Street, which was not supported by Members.

The Committee also requested that Officers review the licensing points scheme.

The Committee approved the recommendations now detailed.

RESOLVED – that(A) full consultation with the hackney carriage and private hire licence holders, operators and other stakeholders be undertaken in respect of the knowledge test and advertising on vehicles as now detailed;

(B)      Officers be requested to review the suggestions made on ranks and the licensing points scheme as now detailed; and

(C)      following the full consultation in (A) above, the Head of Community Safety and Health Services be authorised to implement any policy changes in consultation with the Chairman of the Licensing Committee.