ROUND THE COUNCILS KIRKLEES:
‘DRACONIAN’ POLICY NOW IN FORCE
A Kirklees Council policy condemned as “racist” and “draconian” has been updated and is now in force after approval was granted at a meeting on 19 July. The council’s Fitness and Suitability Policy sees taxi drivers at risk of losing their licence if they accrue six or more penalty points, leaving drivers fearing for their livelihoods. The policy first came into effect in 2019 but has recently gone under review, with a draft report going through a period of consultation. The updated document says its purpose is to: “ensure the travelling public can be confident the drivers licensed are suitable and vehicles licensed are fit for purpose.” It continues that drivers must be “fit and proper” and undergo testing. Drivers inform the council of all convictions, including minor motoring convictions and all Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN). The consultation received 333 responses, with between 63-75% of people responding in favour of each of the council’s 19 proposed changes. However, some respondents were against the council’s plans, reiterated at the meeting by trade reps who preferred a draft policy put forward by the GMB. Councillors were divided on the issue. Cllr Adam Zaman, addressing Public Protection Group Leader, Fiona Goldsmith, said: “Given the fact that it’s quite a vague policy and you will ultimately be making those decisions it opens the door to a lot of subjectivity which is not what we want in a policy; it needs to be clearly defined and drivers who are going to be answerable to this policy need to know exactly what they can and can’t do.” Cllr Aafaq Butt sought clarification on FPNs and their need to be reported to the licensing authority. He said: “Are we saying that somebody who gets a parking ticket would have to report that to licensing? Why would that have weight on somebody’s ability or suitability to be a driver?” Ms Goldsmith explained: “You’ve got people who fail to pay the parking ticket and commit an offence and they could potentially be prosecuted for that.” Another council officer explained the difference between a FPN and civil penalty notice. He asserted the policy was not about people getting parking tickets but about dealing with serious offences or a build-up of minor offences.
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Cllr Butt requested the wording of the draft document be amended to make the distinction around FPNs clearer.
Cllr Zaman proposed that GMB’s draft policy be adopted as it was “much better” written and states that the decision to grant, refuse or revoke a licence sits with a committee rather than a single officer. He said: “If we’re going to have people’s livelihoods on the line when we’re making these decisions, then I think there should be more of a democratic process.” When it came to the vote, the majority of the committee voted for the council’s policy with the amended wording around FPNs, with this effective immediately. Four Labour councillors voted for a period of consultation on the GMB draft policy but this was outvoted.
LEEDS: DUAL OPERATOR PILOT LAUNCHES
Leeds taxi and private hire drivers will now be able to drive for two operators, aligning Leeds with neighbouring authorities, as part of a new council pilot scheme. The scheme follows concerns raised by drivers that the current single operator model was creating an unjustifiable disparity in conditions with drivers licensed outside of Leeds, who are able to drive in Leeds for more than one operator. Running for up to 24 months the pilot will allow the council to test out changes to policy relating to dual operators and provide a real boost to private hire drivers in Leeds during the cost-of-living crisis. Leeds City Council’s deputy leader, Cllr Debra Coupar said: “The dual operator pilot is a great opportunity for the council to test out a new approach and I hope the changes will give drivers licensed in Leeds a much- needed boost during the cost-of-living crisis. “We will ensure licensing policies strike a balance bet- ween ensuring public safety and quality of service whilst also supporting taxi and PH drivers in Leeds.” Changes to policy will include - allowing Leeds licensed drivers to work for two operators, removing the requirement to have windscreen livery and considering options for displaying stickers for both operators on the sides of vehicles. Following the pilot and appropriate consultation a final decision will be made in relation to permanently amending the relevant driver, operator and vehicle conditions to allow taxi and private hire drivers licensed within Leeds to drive for dual operators.
AUGUST 2023 PHTM
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