ROUND THE COUNCILS HYNDBURN:
CRACKDOWN ON CARS PARKING IN TAXI RANKS
Hyndburn Council is backing up the lifting of its limit on taxis with action to stop private cars parking in ranks. According to LancsLive, it is part of the council’s drive to ensure more cabs are available especially late at night. In February the borough’s cabinet approved the ending the current limit of 59 hackney carriages in its area. The move was sparked by complaints that the lack of taxis, especially late at night, was leading people staying at home rather than risk being stranded or having to walk home. This fear was confirmed by a survey which also reported a shortage of vehicles that are fully accessible for wheelchair users and other disabled passengers. A Hyndburn Council licensing spokesman said: “We are pleased to announce that the limit on number of hackney carriages has now been removed in Hyndburn and we are also implementing a solution to improve accessibility of taxis, particularly late at night “Over the next few months we are working with parking enforcement officers to monitor taxi ranks and ensure the parking of private vehicles in these spaces is not preventing licensed vehicles from using these ranks to work. “Those found to be parking illegally will be issued with Fixed Penalty Notices. Special attention will be paid to the ranks in Accrington Town Centre, including the one outside the Bee’s Knees and on Blackburn Road. “This action has come after feedback from hackney carriage drivers who find they often cannot station their vehicles on these ranks. Hyndburn Council also decided that new cabs licensed are fully usable by the disabled and those in wheelchairs.
WEST SUFFOLK: LICENSING POLICY CHANGES TO SUPPORT TRADE
Taxi drivers and customers are being urged to have their say on a proposed licensing policy changes. West Suffolk Council is asking for views on changes around the provision of WAVs, taxi zones and to the maximum vehicle age limit. The proposed changes are in response to the findings of an independent survey and study, carried out in the Autumn. The Council’s existing WAV policy requires taxi drivers, to have a WAV when replacing their vehicle. Cabinet agreed to review this policy and in August last year, a month before the survey was due to launch, the council was presented with a petition and letter of concern by many taxi drivers. The review looked at WAV provision, the advantages and dis- advantages of merging the taxi zones (West Suffolk currently has two zones, Zone A for the former Forest Heath and Zone B for the former St Edmundsbury) and the age of the fleet.
APRIL 2022
Consideration was also given to future requirements of an en- vironmentally friendly taxi fleet and the impact of Covid As a result of the review the council proposes a package of licensing changes to its Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Conditions Policy Handbook. These are: • To remove all WAV requirements for HCV licensees • To merge the two existing taxi zones in West Suffolk into one single zone
• To increase the maximum age of vehicle limit to 15 years old to allow more time for the trade to recover from the pandemic, and for advancements in EV charging technol- ogy, infrastructure and vehicle options. This new age limit would still mean those taxis emitting the highest carbon emissions would be removed from the roads in 2025.
The three proposals should not be considered in isolation to each other. The changes to the WAV requirement for instance will not happen without the changes to the taxi zones. A council spokesperson said: “We have listened to taxi cus- tomers and taxi drivers and hope they find this as a workable solution that will allow us to address the imbalance of WAV provision without having to stick to our existing WAV policy.” “Our longer-term aim is still to work together with the taxi trade to ensure we have a thriving, safe, accessible and greener fleet. That will still include a level of WAV provision and we will still have a legal responsibility to ensure that the needs and safety of the travelling public is met. This will re- quire further policy changes as we approach 2030. People can give their feedback on the proposed changes at:
https://www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/Council/Consultations/west -suffolk-taxi-policy-consultation-2022.cfm The consultation will run until 18 May 2022.
WORCESTER: NEW LATE-NIGHT RANK CONSULTATION
A new late-night taxi rank looks likely to be set up in the city centre after plans were supported by councillors. According to Worcester News, Worcester City Council is looking to use a bus stop next to the city centre’s Cathedral Square as a late-night taxi rank following talks with drivers. The council’s income generation subcommittee has agreed to a 28-day consultation on the plans to give the public the chance to offer its views and if approved could see the taxi rank up and running ‘officially’ ahead of the summer. At the moment, the bus stop would be open every day to taxis between 8.30pm and 6am the following morning. Cllr Jenny Barnes said having to walk from one end of the High Street to the other to find a taxi was a “real issue”. The plan was backed by councillors with Cllr Richard Udall saying the move was an “important step forward” with Cllr Marc Bayliss calling the new rank a “sensible idea.” The bus stop is already being used “informally” by taxi drivers after bus services have finished for the day.
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