Agenda item

Purpose of report

To consider the recommendation from the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee in respect of the current South Kesteven District Council Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy regarding the vehicle age requirement.

Decision

1.    That no changes be made to the Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy at this time and a review be undertaken upon publication of the results of the Department for Transport’s consultation on the revised Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Best Practice Guidance for Licensing Authorities in England.

2.    That the Leader of the Council or Cabinet Member for Corporate Governance and Licensing writes to the Government Minister responsible to seek confirmation as to when the Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Best Practice Guidance for Licensing Authorities in England will be published.

3.    That the position be reviewed in three months, with a view to adopting the Government’s best practice.

Alternative options considered and rejected

Cabinet could have considered an amendment to the Council’s existing Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy.

Reason for decision

At its meeting on 10 May 2022 the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the response to the Department for Transport consultation on the revised Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Best Practice Guidance for Licensing Authorities in England. This included revised guidance on the setting of vehicle age limits. The Committee recommended that Cabinet urgently reviewed the vehicle age at first registration aspect of the Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy, paying special regard to the vehicle age five-year rule.

The Council’s current Policy was approved on 12 January 2021 and took effect on 1 April 2021, with the exception of the reduction in vehicle age at first licensing from seven to five years which took effect from 1 October 2021. The delay in implementation of this element of the Policy was intended to give the taxi trade an opportunity to plan for the change. Once a vehicle was licensed it could continue to be renewed until it reached the age of ten years, or twelve in the case of wheelchair accessible and low or zero emission vehicles.

The Department for Transport’s consultation closed on 20 June 2022 and it was understood that responses were in the process of being analysed, with no date currently set for publication of the results.

The draft guidance being consulted upon did include reference to the age of taxi vehicles and suggested that authorities should consider more targeted requirements to meet policy objectives rather than those solely based on age. South Kesteven District Council’s Policy sought to promote the protection of the public and the environment, the safety of drivers and provision of access to an efficient and effective public transport service delivered by a professional and respected trade. Licensing authorities could attach to the award of a license of a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire driver such conditions as they may consider reasonably necessary to achieve these objectives.

Table 1 of the report set out a comparison of current age policies with other neighbouring Councils.

It would be considered normal practice for the Council to wait until the results of the consultation had been published, together with the revised Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Best Practice Guidance for Licensing Authorities in England, in order that it could review its criteria and Policy in line with its content. Making changes at this stage could lead to the Council’s Policy being contrary to the new best practice document resulting in a further review which could cause confusion and uncertainty.

It was therefore proposed that no changes be made to the current Policy and this be reviewed after publication of the Department for Transport’s consultation results in order that the best practice guidance could be taken into consideration.

The Cabinet Member for Corporate Governance and Licensing reported they had been accused of lying and falsehood, with certain individuals and media outlets being encouraged to rubbish their name online in respect of this particular issue. They assured Cabinet they had remained professional at all times and would not be intimidated or bullied, confirming they were not a liar.

In response to this particular point, the Leader of the Council had no doubt as to the Cabinet Member’s honesty and integrity in the role they undertook as a Councillor.