Agenda item

To consider the report on Fees for Drivers, Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles and Private Hire Operators.

The Accountant presented the report for information regarding fees for drivers, Hackney Carriages, PHV and Private Hire Operators (PHO). In summary, he said such fees were reviewed on an annual basis to ensure that the cost of delivering the service was covered by incoming fees. The current review had concluded that the cost associated with the licensing process was inline with the current fees charged. However, in order to implement more robust procedures, as outlined by the proposals Members had considered earlier in the meeting, there was a need for fees to rise in order to recover the extra costs of the service. The proposed fee structure would be sent out to the trade for consultation.  Any objections received would be reported back to this Committee at the point of considering the structure for approval.

In response to a question from Councillor Barker regarding the disparity of percentage increases, the Accountant said the proposed new standards impacted on licence holders in different ways, for example the difference between private hire operators and individual drivers, and therefore the fees differed in accordance with the costs associated with the relevant service.

The Environmental Health Manager (Commercial) said the proposed fee structure would now be put out for consultation with the trade.

The report was noted.

The meeting ended at 8.15pm.

Public Speaking

Mr Mahoney

Mr Mahoney said that recent months had been very difficult for the taxi trade. Whilst school transport contracts had continued, he highlighted the aviation industry’s recent struggles which had significantly impacted upon the trade’s business. He said there had been licensing problems across the UK due to the impact of Covid-19, but UDC had handled such problems relatively well and were in a good position in comparison to other councils. He said he agreed with the proposal to move away from license renewals only occurring in July and August, due to the burden it placed on the licensing service but also the length of time drivers had to wait for their applications to be processed. He said this was particularly problematic for the vulnerable children who were taken to school by his fleet, who needed consistency and required specially trained drivers. He concluded by referring to the Dash Badges and Signs proposal that would be considered by Members; he warned the Committee that putting signs on licensed vehicles could lead to a false sense of security and would not necessarily increase the safety of passengers.  

Mr Perry

Mr Perry said the epidemic had been a disaster for the trade, as demonstrated by the fact that many businesses had closed and drivers had left the industry to work elsewhere. The trade and authorities must continue to work together to overcome the public health emergency. He noted the item on statutory standards for taxis and PHVs and said the trade were fully behind the protection of drivers and passengers. However, he said such measures were required due to the emergence of Uber and the fact that their drivers had not been suitably trained. He requested that the trade be consulted on any safety measures proposed, e.g. CCTV. He concluded by asking Members to remember that it was for councilors, not officers, to determine applications and warned against implementing delegated powers.