ALL THINGS LICENSING
Article by Mike Smith, Senior Specialist for Licensing and Community Safety at Guildford Borough Council and Vice-Chair of the Institute of Licensing South East Region.
Please note that this article represents my own views which are not presented as the views of the Institute of Licensing or Guildford BC.
BEST PRACTICE GUIDANCE – STAYING SAFE
I am sure that many of us, both licensing officers and members of the trade will have spent some time over the last couple of months digesting the updated Best Practice Guidance (BPG).
Unsurprisingly, due to the comprehensive nature of the review there are a number of new additions. In particular, following on from the recognition in the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards that taxi driving is a ‘high risk’ environment, the BPG now contains a section on Personal Security. Certainly, with the articles in PHTM about some of the terrible events drivers have to deal with and PHTM’s ‘No Excuse for Abuse’ campaign, this advice recognises the difficulties faced by drivers and encourages licensing authorities to consider measures to improve driver safety.
The BPG sets out that Section 17 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 requires local authorities to consider crime and disorder reduction while exercising all their duties. This includes not only the potential risks to passengers, but also to drivers.
The BPG discusses obvious measures which can benefit safety, such as in-vehicle CCTV and conflict resolution training. Some of the less obvious advice includes building links between the trade and police, also involving trade reps in Community Safety partner- ships, which are forums designed to bring together local partners to formulate and deliver strategies to tackle crime and disorder in their communities.
The taxi trade not only plays an important role in transporting customers in safety, particularly after a night out where often dispersal is an important priority for many police forces, but the trade also acts as capable guardians in this environment and often provides a useful source of information for the police.
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As I wrote about in December’s edition, the BPG also contains sample notices, annexed at the end, about what drivers and passengers should expect from each other.
New Staying Safe’ Guidance
Also annexed to the BPG is ‘Staying Safe’ Guidance (SSG), for both taxi and private hire drivers, recognising the fact that drivers often pick up unknown individuals in both isolated areas and on busy streets without knowledge of their identity or intentions. Drivers often carry cash and deal with customers often in states of intoxication, further exposing them to risk, especially violence.
The SSG has sections of advice with practical tips to stay safe, such as only opening windows partially to speak to persons outside of the vehicle, communi- cating politely and professionally with passengers at all times and explaining any difficulties such as road works or traffic on the journey to reduce any likelihood of conflict. There is also advice on what to do if you feel threatened, or if you are the subject of an incident.
Items to carry to stay safe
Recognising the risks faced by drivers, the SSG suggests carrying four specific items to help improve driver safety. Traditionally safety equipment required by councils includes first aid kits, fire extinguishers, spare wheels and bulbs, however the items suggested in the new BPG are rather more unconventional…
1. spare key to be used in the event that the vehicle key is stolen or discarded by an assailant.
2. mobile phone - drivers are encouraged to utilise the ‘emergency information’ function available on most smartphones, so that, if needed, anyone who picks up the phone can see vital information necessary for an emergency without the need to unlock your phone. Alternatively, drivers are advised to carry an emergency card listing important details such as name, date of birth, blood group, allergies and a contact number for emergencies.
3. note pad and pen to make a record of incidents. Whilst most smartphones also have a notepad function, it may be that the phone could be out of battery, needed to make a call or taken as evidence meaning the paper and pen back up is essential.
4. explanation of the fare structure to diffuse complaints about price. This written description will help to set out the fare breakdown to passengers
FEBRUARY 2024 PHTM
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