Issue - meetings

To consider the report of the Head of Public Protection which presents the draft revised conditions for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing for approval by the Committee for consultation.

The Senior Licensing and Markets Officer presented the report of the Head of Public Protection which presented the draft revised conditions for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing for approval by the Committee for the purposes of consultation.

The Chair advised Members that an e-mail had been received from Mr Zeya Ahmed who was unable to attend the Committee but wished the Committee to be informed of his support for the proposed changes and his thanks for having had the opportunity to provide input which he believed was a significant improvement on the previous review.

He also wished it to be known that he had found the Senior Licensing and Markets Officer easy to work with even if they were not always in agreement.

Mr Ahmed had also suggested that any mention of the DVSA enhanced assessment be accompanied by words to the effect of ‘or equivalent driving test as approved by the Council’.

The Senior Licensing and Markets Officer advised that the DVSA intended withdraw the enhanced driving assessments with effect from 31 December 2016 and the Council was looking at alternatives. One provider would use former DVSA staff trained to that standard although the fee would be increased from £79.66 to £87.00.

A Member believed that the cost to the applicants should be kept at the same level. The Solicitor noted that existing drivers should have completed the assessment by 1 October 2016 and would still be able to take the DVSA assessment until the end of the year.

The Food, Licensing and Markets Manager advised that one alternative provider under consideration was a charitable trust and £7 of each fee would be remitted to the Local Authority for donation to a home for elderly or vulnerable people. She stated that there would be an estimated 27,000 applicants for the assessment next year nationally and the DVSA had been unable to cope with the demand.

The Senior Licensing and Markets Officer advised that in the region of ninety drivers still had to take the assessment but some may have not yet notified the Council that they had passed.

He stated that Officers were aware of difficulties in arranging appointments in Gloucester and each case would be treated on its own merits. If drivers could prove that they had genuinely tried to arrange a test that would be taken into account when the situation was reviewed on 1^st  October.

A Member referred to paragraph 1.1B of the Private Hire Rule Book which stated that applicants for licences were expected to have a good command of the English language both verbal and written.  He was advised that the Trade had asked for this to be included and One Legal had been consulted and were satisfied with the clause.

Members were advised that this was assessed by a Licensing Officer during the Private Hire Knowledge test. In most instances applicants held a Private Hire Drivers Licence before applying for a Hackney Carriage Drivers Licence.

A Member referred to paragraph  ...  view the full minutes text for item 19