TRANSPORT COMMITTEE INQUIRY
Several local authorities have mitigated operational and data recovery issues by mandating that CCTV system providers act as authorised officers, reducing administrative burden and alleviating industry concerns about inappropriate access or “big brother is watching me”.
The principal remaining concern is cost. When Dr Scott Arthur MP asked whether government support would be available, the response stated that the department would issue guidance - despite such guidance already being issued by the ICO in April last year.
The question was clearly about financial support. Precedents already exist, with councils such as York, St Helens, Telford and Barnsley all being successful in securing funding for such schemes in the interest of public protection.
Cross-border working & intended use
While national standards and potential local authority expansion through devolution were cited as solutions to cross-border working and licence shopping, fee disparities remain the core driver. Without addressing this, the issue will persist.
Further measures are therefore required, including: l Intended-use regulations l National oversight of licensing fees
l The inclusion of regulators themselves within the scope of national standards
Enforcement powers
The proposal to grant licensing officers police-style stopping powers is, in my view, misguided. A more effective approach would be to grant police officers licensing enforcement powers. This model already operates successfully in areas with dedicated “Taxi Cop” schemes and avoids duplication of authority while enhancing road safety and compliance.
Devolution
The subject of devolution was mentioned a few times during the session, where it was stated: “if this goes ahead”.
We suggest that if and when this does come to approval stage, that there is one major concern that simply must be addressed:
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9 Retain existing zones
The reason for this is very clear, and has not only been expressed, but also experienced within regions that have already amalgamated, including Herefordshire, BCP and others.
The potential effect on the end user
There could be a serious lack of provision within regions which suddenly become very large, due to migration to busier areas within the new region, leaving those in rural areas struggling to obtain such services.
Hackney carriage sector
Busier ranks could find themselves flooded by those who may now legally make use of taxi ranks within much busier areas.
Private hire sector and hackney carriage sector
The area that must be studied and tested for applicants would suddenly cover vast regions, which is not only unrealistic, but impractical as many of those drivers may never have any desire to work those larger regions.
Finally, I would like to express my sincere thanks to the Committee and its staff for creating such a welcoming and professional environment throughout this process. While participating was initially daunting, the approach taken by
Committee members and support team made the experience constructive, engaging, and genuinely positive.
Yours sincerely, David Lawrie, Director NPHTA
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