EASTBOURNE:
ROUND THE COUNCILS HYNDBURN:
ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENTS SURVEY
On Monday 26 June, Eastbourne Borough Council’s licensing committee agreed to go out to consultation on its plans to change its licensing guidelines for taxi operators, which include a significant change to accessibility. At the moment, any new vehicles being put forward for use as a hackney carriage have to be wheelchair accessible to be considered by the council. The council is proposing that it removes this requirement. The committee heard the change is being considered for broadly two reasons. Firstly, because the relatively high cost of wheelchair-accessible vehicles has been ‘a barrier’ to new drivers entering the trade. Secondly, a concern that such vehicles may not be suitable for all disabled passengers. This latter point saw some support from Cllr Hugh Parker (Lib Dem), who had some personal experience to share.
He said: “My late wife was completely wheelchair bound, so she needed a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. But she had MS, so it developed over time. When she was able to walk a wheelchair-accessible vehicle wouldn’t have been any good to her, because she couldn’t have got into the passenger seat, because it was too high. “So that proves your point. We need a variety of disability-available vehicles, because disability is such a broad brush; it covers mobility, it covers sight, it covers hearing, it covers special needs, mental capacity if you like. “It covers a variety of things and I think the transport that is offered by taxi and private hire needs to reflect that. “It’s too easy to go for a wheelchair-accessible vehicle and then find that 50 per cent of the people that it turns up for can’t even get into it.” The committee also heard how recently introduced legislation means all hackney and private hire drivers have a duty to carry disabled persons generally and provide mobility assistance, whether or not they have a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. Even so, no decision will be taken until the results of the consultation are assessed. The consultation is set to run for six weeks and will seek views from the trade, other organisations which operate in the district and the public more generally.
58 TAXI AGE LIMITS COULD BE EASED
Hyndburn Borough Council is considering shaking up its licensing regime for older taxis and private hire vehicles. It is also proposing the removal of the requirement for all of them to carry a fire extinguisher and first aid kit, both of which are currently mandatory in Hyndburn borough. Now the council is consulting on removing the requirement from its Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy. It is also looking at reducing the frequency of road worthiness tests for vehicles aged between ten and 15 years old. A Hyndburn Council spokesperson said: “Currently all vehicles should carry a first aid kit and a fire extinguisher. “We are considering removing this requirement for the following reasons. “If a vehicle is on fire, the advice given by the fire authority is to leave the vehicle and move away from it, and the fire extinguisher in the vehicle would not be sufficient to put out an engine fire. “Only a trained first aider is permitted to administer first aid so a condition which requires the driver to carry a first aid kit would appear to be unreasonable. “Currently all vehicles over the age of ten years have to be tested three times a year and are only issued with a licence for four months, excluding hybrids. “However if a vehicle over the age of ten years passes its test the first time on three consecutive occasions, it will be issued with a six month licence on the third occasion. “This was introduced as an incentive to encourage owners to maintain older vehicles to a high standard. “The licensing manager has now been asked to commence a consultation relating to the first aid kit and fire extinguisher requirements. “The proposal to be consulted upon would amend the conditions to allow all vehicles between the age of two years and 15 years to be granted with a six months licence regardless of whether they are hybrid or not. “Once a vehicle reaches the age of 15 years it will revert to three tests a year and be issued with a four months licence. “Comments should be submitted to Hyndburn Council licensing department before 4pm on August 8.”
licensing@hyndburnbc.gov.uk
AUGUST 2023 PHTM
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