ROUNDTHE... SHEFFIELD: REVIEW OF 15-YEAR BLACK CAB RULING


A rule meaning Sheffield’s black cabs must be no older than 15 years is to be reviewed by city coun- cillors.


But the body repre- senting the city’s taxi drivers says the so- called 15-year rule should stay.


Members of Sheffield Council’s licensing board were to discuss the policy at a meet- ing.


Officers say the process is just routine,


as all rules governing hackney carriages are reviewed every three years.


Hafeas Rehman, of Sheffield Taxi Trade Association, told the Sheffield Star: “The current policy is sensi- ble and should not be changed.


“It means we have a good fleet and it ensures taxis are safe, reliable and up-to-date. “We are setting an example to other areas with the policy - it has


only recently been introduced in London.” Sheffield Council offi- cers said the current policy was brought in to ensure vehicles were safe and com- fortable.


The restrictions mean taxis older than five years old cannot be registered in Sheffield. But existing vehicles which are already in use around the city can have their licences renewed until they are 15 years old.


CHELTENHAM: CALCULATING FARES WILL COST £3,500


Licensing bosses at Cheltenham Borough Council have defend- ed the decision to spend £3,500 on con- sultants to produce a formula to calculate taxi fares.


A request by the Gloucestershire Echo revealed that world- wide planning service company Halcrow is due to be paid the money when the licensing committee agrees the deal. The fee represents just over one per cent of the licensing depart- ment’s annual budget. The calculation, to be used for fares charged by hackney carriages, was commissioned by Cheltenham Borough Council in March. It is based on the estima- tion that the annual mileage covered by a taxi driver in Chel- tenham is around 30,000 miles.


This formula takes into account regional costs, vehicle cost, replacement parts, price of fuel, insurance and average national earnings. Trevor Gladding, com- munity protection manager, told the Echo: “If agreed by licensing committee,


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we will take ownership of the formula which we can use whenever we need to revise rates, ensuring this is done accurately and fairly. “We consider this one- off payment to have been very good value for money and there was no need to go out to tender.” Mmm...Pity they didn’t get in touch with the Association. Gen Sec. Bryan Roland (aka Chief Anorak), who has compiled the taxi fare League Tables for this paper since 1999, has assisted no end of licensing authorities - and also their hackney carriage associations - in working out formu- lae for fare increase applications. These increases have been successful on all occa- sions - and he does this free of charge. - Ed


Meanwhile, outdated rules that included a ban on straw on the floor of taxis in Chel- tenham have been dropped. The 60-year-old hack- ney carriage byelaws have been replaced with a modern set after a review. Cheltenham Borough Council


licensing committee members unanimous- ly approved the changes.


It brings an end to the laws adopted by the borough’s mayor, alderman and burgess- es in November 1951. At the meeting, Cllr Penny Hall said: “I was wondering whether the bit about straw was going to be taken out.”


Among the new rules is a requirement to keep a taxi’s roof watertight, to have “at least two doors” for the use of people being carried and that a fire extin- guisher should be “readily available”. The document adopt- ed also provides guidance on how driv- ers should approach taxi stands and, in the event of many cars already being in place, how to queue.


The committee was told the old laws were out of date and need- ed refining to be appropriate to the cur- rent era.


Under the 1847 Town Police Clauses Act and the 1875 Public Health Act, taxi opera- tions can only be governed by council byelaws.


HAMBLETON: CHANGES TO TAXI RULES


Changes are on the way for cabbies and taxi operators in the Hambleton district. The Northern Echo reports that a number of alterations are planned and the dis- trict’s taxi drivers are being invited to have their say about them.


The main changes include increasing the 65-year age limit for annual medical checks to 70 and mak- ing a Criminal Records Bureau disclosure standard for all opera- tors.


All vehicles will also be required to have a


meter, and the location and operation of hack- ney ranks is to be reviewed.


Questionnaires can be completed on line at Hambleton.gov.uk/ hdctaxi or at one of the council offices in Northallerton, Stokes- ley and Easingwold.


WEST NORFOLK: KNOWLEDGE ON CARDS FOR CABS


New taxi drivers in West Norfolk may soon have to show they have the “knowledge” - like London cabbies - before they can oper- ate in the borough. Newcomers are likely to face a test, set by the council, including knowledge of the local area, literacy and numeracy, the High- way Code and under-


standing of licensing regulations.


The test would have to be completed by all new applicants for combined private hire and hackney carriage licences - but existing drivers would be exempt.


According to the Lynn News, the council’s cabinet agreed the new requirement, which is


SURREY: COUNCIL BLUNDERS EARN A £120K FINE


Council blunders which resulted in the release of personal details of hundreds of vulnerable people will cost taxpayers £120,000.


According to the Leatherhead Advertis- er, Surrey County Council (SCC) has been fined by the Information Commis- sioner after three “serious breaches” of the Data Protection Act.


The mistakes led to information about vul- nerable adults being sent to an e-mail list including local taxi firms, and information about children being circulated on the wrong internal group email.


The first error, in May last year,


involved


health details of 241 people being sent out by an adult social care worker.


The e-mail, which SCC tried unsuccessfully to recall, ended up in the hands of taxi, minibus and coach hire servic- es.


Christopher Graham, the UK Information Commissioner, said: “This significant penal- ty fully reflects the seriousness of the case. The fact that sensitive personal information relating to the health and welfare of 241 vulnerable indi- viduals was sent to the wrong people is shocking enough. “But when you take into account the two similar breaches that followed, it is clear that SCC failed to fully address the “risks of sending sensitive per- sonal data by e-mail until it was far too late.”


Imposing the fine last month, the Information Commissioner said


that although informa- tion did not leave the council network, it was circulated to staff who had no right to receive it.


An SCC spokesman said: “These incidents should never have occurred and we have apologised to those involved.


“Immediate action has been taken to prevent this happening again. Measures have al- ready been taken to reduce the risk of sen- sitive personal data being wrongly addres- sed and extra training on handling data has been given. “We accept the com- missioner’s findings but feel the money we were fined by another public sector organi- sation would have been better spent making further im- provements in Sur- rey.”


PHTM JULY 2011


still subject to full coun- cil approval, after reviewing the authority’s policy on licensing. It is also recommend- ing the council in- creases the fee for all new combined driver licence applicants from £49.50 to £62 - to cut the council tax subsidy that licensing currently receives and to cover the cost of the new test.


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