ROUND THE COUNCILS NORTH YORKSHIRE: CALL TO RETAIN LOCAL LICENCE ZONES
Calls have been made for North Yorkshire to consider keeping local taxi licence zones amid a proposal to move to a single policy. Cllr Andrew Williams, county councillor for Ripon Minster and Moorside, called for assurances that council officials would look at retaining local licensing zones after concern from cabbies. Under proposals already put forward, the new North Yorkshire Council would create a single licensing policy for hackneys and PHVs in the entire county. It would mean drivers for example in Harrogate could operate anywhere in North Yorkshire, whereas they are currently restricted to the Harrogate district. Cllr Williams told a council meeting on Wednesday 16 November, that local drivers had raised concern that the changes would lead to taxis flocking to areas during high demand, such as a large event, leaving customers in other areas struggling to get a cab. Cllr Williams added that fare rates for the entire county should be based on the highest charged otherwise drivers could lose out on income. The council said previously that fares for hackney carriages would be reviewed at a later date. In response, Cllr Carl Les, leader of the county council, said that all views submitted to a consultation over the changes would be considered. He said: “I think they are all valid points. Hopefully they will come out in the consultation so we will make the decisions when we‘ve heard what people have actually said.” The move to propose a single licensing policy has caused concern for cabbies, including in the Harrogate district. Richard Fieldman, who has operated his cab in Ripon for 28 years, said that the planned changes would see drivers “swamp” areas during the busiest times of day with quieter areas being deprived of taxis during the busier times. Mr Fieldman added that he feared the council could introduce a single fare rate for the county, which he said would make business “unviable” for drivers. County council officials said in a statement the planned policy would offer drivers “flexibility to operate across the county,
encouraging
environmental efficiencies and creating a wider distribution of wheelchair-accessible vehicles. “There are no plans to impose hackney carriage
PHTM DECEMBER 2022
quantity restrictions on the creation of a new single zone.” A consultation into the policy changes is open until January 19, 2023. You can have your say here:
https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/hackney-carriage- and-private-hire-licensing-policy-consultation
GLASGOW: CRIMINAL RECORD RULE CHANGE
Glasgow City Council’s licensing rules on criminal record checks will be changed to help potential taxi and private hire drivers who have lived abroad. Concerns have been raised recently that potential drivers have been banned from applying due to the current procedures. People who have lived in the UK for several years but cannot get a criminal record check from a country where they previously stayed for six months or more have been unable to submit a licence bid to the council. Now, the city’s licensing committee has agreed to change the rules so that criminal record checks in countries where a new applicant has lived for six months or longer, since the age of 16, are only needed if they’ve not lived in the UK for five consecutive years. If the applicant previously held a licence in Glasgow, a criminal record check would only be required for any period, of six months or longer, they have spent outside the UK since the last licence expired. A council official explained: “If you are a first time applicant and you have lived in the UK for a period of five consecutive years prior to applying, you do not need a criminal record check.” Any licence applications are passed to Police Scotland for consultation but when an applicant was born, or has lived, outwith the UK, the force is “unable to provide comment on when an applicant entered the UK and/or whether or not the applicant has accrued any convictions outwith the UK.” Criminal record checks are expected to be dated within six months prior to an application being submitted. Where the check is from an EU country and is not in English, a multilingual standard form or a certified translation must be included. Checks from all other countries must be translated into English and verified by the relevant UK based embassy, consulate or high commission.
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