ROUND THE COUNCILS BROMSGROVE:
CONSULTATION ON DRAFT HC AND PH POLICY
Bromsgrove District Council has launched a consultation on proposals to introduce new policies in relation to their hack- ney carriage and private hire licensing functions. The drafting of a new Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Pol- icy document is part of a review of the council’s existing policies which has been prompted by the publication by the DfT of the “Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Stan- dards” in July 2020. Full details of the consultation, including a link enabling people to provide their views online, can be found by visiting:
www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/consultations To assist the council in receiving the views of as wide a group of stakeholders as possible, please forward this email to any other individuals, organisations or groups that you think may have an interest in responding to this consultation. This consultation will remain open until 3rd September 2021.
EAST STAFFORDSHIRE: CABBIES PLEA TO KEEP OLDER CARS AGREED
Taxi drivers in Burton could be handed another lifeline to keep them in business as they try to recover from the impact of Covid on their business. Three cabbies in the town asked for a four-month extension for all drivers in Burton and Uttoxeter on how long they can keep ageing vehicles before having to replace them as drivers across the town battle to stay afloat. The cabbies asked East Staffordshire Borough Council to grant them the extension due to the major downturn in trade. One driver told the council: “I am not in a position to replace vehicles due to the lockdown. Work has been terribly slow and I do not have funds available to purchase a new vehicle and request that you consider my appeal for extension.” It is the third time since last April that the council’s licensing team has been approached by taxi drivers seeking exten- sions to when they need to buy newer cars. They were previously granted two four-month extensions in April and then in November last year following a letter signed by 19 taxi firms across East Staffordshire, now known as the Burton Taxi Trade after forming an alliance. Previously private hire vehicles had to be replaced when they reach seven years old and hackney carriage vehicles at ten years old. From May 2021 to December 2021, a total of 107 private hire vehicles and hackney carriage vehicles would need to be replaced under the old licence agreements issued by the borough council.
JULY 2021
From December 2020 to December 2021, a total of 90 private hire vehicles and 26 hackneys would have needed to be replaced, but these drivers were granted the reprieve on older cars. But taxi drivers have said many have seen their workload plummet to ten per cent of what it used to be when com- pared to January last year, before the pandemic hit. The licensing committee met to discuss the extension on June 8. A report to the council said that the options available to the committee were to extend the licences by another four months; grant a six-month extension; an extension until December 31; or impose no extensions. The committee voted to make an extension until Friday 31 December 2021.
BABERGH: REVISED FARES TO GO TO CONSULTATION
Fresh fares for hackneys in Babergh will go out to public consultation, after previous tariffs had to be scrapped days before coming into effect for breaching discrimination laws. According to Suffolk News, licensing bosses said they have used suggestions from the cab trade to help ensure there are no issues this time around. New fares due to have been introduced in April had to be shelved at zero hour because the way the fares would work could breach the Equality Act, and a council report suggest- ed it could “inadvertently enable discrimination”. That was because fares were based on the size of the taxi, rather than the number of passengers, which could have penalised those with wheelchairs or pushchairs who have no choice but to use the larger vehicles. Cab drivers in their consultation comments had raised the matter as a problem, but the proposals still proceeded. The council’s licensing committee, which ousted committee chairman Mark Newman with a vote of no confidence over the handling of the matter to date, agreed to a fresh tariffs. The saga has been ongoing for more than a year, with the latest fares the third set to come to committee in that time. Cab fares have not increased in Babergh since 2016, with the raise designed to help drivers cover increased costs of run- ning vehicles but not at the expense of putting travellers off. A 28-day public consultation will now be held, with respons- es returning to the committee on August 13, and a final decision being made by cabinet after that. The proposals for one-four passengers now start at £3.20 for a day rate with an 18p increase every 176 yards, £4.80 for evenings with 27p every 176 yards and £6.40 for Christmas and New Year with 36p every 176 yards. For five or more passengers the day rate starts at £4.80 with 27p every 176 yards, £6.40 for evenings with 36p every 176 yards and £8 with 45p every 176 yards on Christmas and New Year.
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