Issue - meetings

Report No: CAB/FH/16/058

Portfolio Holder: Lance Stanbury              Lead Officer: Peter Gudde

Chairman of the Committee: Michael Anderson              

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: (21 December 2016)

That the results of the recent consultation with Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Vehicle Drivers and taxi customers on the proposal to adopt a BTEC Level 2 Certificate ‘Introduction to the role of Professional Taxi and Private Hire Driver’, as detailed in Report No: LIC/FH/16/006,  be noted and;

1.       The change in requirements for all new drivers to complete the BTEC Level 2 Certificate be approved; and additionally

2.           (a)     Existing drivers be required to attend half-day training covering specific issues of concern including safeguarding vulnerable people, assisting customers with disabilities and customer care provided at no cost to attendees; and

(b)     The Disciplinary Code for Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Vehicles be amended to reflect that should existing drivers fail to comply with 2. (a) above, this would constitute a contravention of this Code, and as a consequence, he/she will be required to obtain the full BTEC Level 2 Certificate referred to in 1. above.

(Report No: CAB/FH/16/058)

Councillor Lance Stanbury, Portfolio Holder for Planning and Growth, presented this report which explained that the Committee had considered new training requirements for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Drivers.

This report had explained that the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 placed a duty upon the Council, as the Licensing Authority, to ensure that an applicant for a driver’s licence was a ’fit and proper person’ to hold such a licence and that existing drivers acted in a way as to satisfy the Council that they continued to be ‘fit and proper’ to hold a licence. 

Paragraph 1.4 of Report No: LIC/FH/16/006 listed the existing requirements of the Council’s ‘fit and proper’ test. Whilst there were many extremely competent and professional drivers in West Suffolk there was statistical and anecdotal evidence to support the need for improved standards and knowledge. The Department of Transport in a publication ‘Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing: Best Practice Guidance’  March 2010 had endorsed the introduction of qualifications in licensing authority regimes. Appendix 1 of Report No: LIC/FH/16/006 listed other local authorities nationally that had introduced a requirement for formally recognised qualifications or in house tests as a prerequisite to the grant of a licence. When considering this matter at its meeting on 23 May 2016, the Committee had accepted that the appropriate form for the qualification would be based on BTEC Level 2.

External consultation with the taxi trade and the general public, as users, had been carried out on the proposal over July and August 2016.  26 out of a potential 600 registered drivers across West Suffolk and 78 members of the public completed respective surveys.  A summary of the responses was included as Appendix 3 to Report No: LIC/FH/16/006.

In discussing the proposal, the Committee had supported for both new applicants and existing drivers to obtain the full BTEC Level 2 Certificate. However, taking into account some of the views that were expressed by Members in relation to the requirement for existing drivers to undertake the qualification, Officers had conducted further research and had proposed further recommendations as set out in (3)(a) and (b) of Report No: CAB/FH/16/058, for additional consideration to those which had been proposed by the Committee. 

These further recommendations were proposing that existing drivers only be required to attend a half-day training course, which would cover specific issues of concern, including safeguarding vulnerable people, assisting customers with disabilities and customer care.  However, should existing drivers fail to attend this half-day course, then this would constitute as a contravention of the Disciplinary Code for Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Vehicles and as a consequence, would then be required to obtain the full BTEC Level 2 Certificate.

With the vote being unanimous, it was

RECOMMENDED TO COUNCIL: (21 December 2016)

That the results of the recent consultation with Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Vehicle Drivers and taxi customers on the proposal to adopt a BTEC Level 2 Certificate ‘Introduction to the role of Professional Taxi and Private Hire  ...  view the full minutes text for item 271