ROUND THE COUNCILS BRIGHTON:
PENALTY POINTS REBELLION
Hundreds of taxi drivers facing a new “punitive” penalty point system signed a petition urging councillors to drop the idea. Drivers, proprietors and operators would have risked having their licences revoked if they accumulated too many points for breaking licensing rules. The aim was to ensure that drivers were “fit and proper” as required by law, according to Brighton and Hove City Council. But after the scheme was debated on 3 February, councillors sided with the trade and rejected the proposals. Trade rep Ahmed Abuorof presented the petition to the council’s Licensing Committee on behalf of hackney carriage drivers as well as private hire drivers. Mr Abuorof said that there was a shortage of drivers joining the trade and said: “While we understand the importance of maintaining high standards and ensuring passenger safety, we believe the proposed penalty point system may be excessively punitive and does not take into account unique circumstances taxi drivers often face.” A report to councillors said that all of the 1,363 drivers licensed by the council were contacted before the consultation which received 69 responses, 63 of which objected to the scheme, including one from the GMB union which represents the trade. The decision was not whipped, allowing councillors a free vote, and they rejected the proposals by seven votes to four. For further information, please see Brighton & Hove Cab Trade view on pages 68-69.
SEFTON: SHORTAGES AFTER FALL IN DRIVERS
Sefton is facing a taxi shortage after a new report detailed the huge fall in licensed taxi drivers since the pandemic. Analysis of the taxi industry within Sefton revealed a 19.5% decrease in licensed drivers and a 12.9% drop in active HC vehicles since 2020. The decline in numbers is so severe, current vehicle owners are unable to find enough drivers to operate the 271 licensed taxis across Sefton. The report into taxi issues was heard at an Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 27 February to explore how to increase the number of hackney drivers.
PHTM MARCH 2024
The report examined the current taxi numbers, levels of demand and pressures on the trade. Since 2020 active HCVs have fallen from 271 to 236 whilst available licensed drivers has dropped from 330 to 266. The committee also heard some of the reasons for the decline include rising costs of fuel and insurance. Significantly, it was reported some drivers felt a ‘perceived decline in demand for late night journeys’ was negatively impacting the profession due to decreased earnings. Another factor cited by the report was the effect of private hire firms. It said: “Many hackney drivers now accept journeys via private hire operators which will likely mean that they could be working anywhere in the LCR and not within Sefton. “Despite a rise in hackney carriage tariffs in October 2023, private hire fares are unregulated and many drivers are finding income via this method more attractive especially when fare ‘multipliers’ are applied during busy periods.” This year will see a new Unmet Demand Survey launched across Sefton, which is conducted at intervals of 4-5 years. The survey will consult with taxi drivers, vehicle owners, users, business owners and trade representatives and assess rank activity throughout Sefton. The hope is that the survey will facilitate a better understanding of the pressures cabbies are facing and find solutions to declining numbers.
LEICESTER: AGE LIMIT CONSULTATION
Leicester City Council has recently consulted on a scheme that would extend the age of a taxi when it is licensed. Currently, taxis cannot be more than five years old when they are first registered and must be less than 11 years old when they are relicensed. The taxi policy was last reviewed in 2012 and since then the trade has experienced the pressures of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and changing customer demand. The council is considering increasing the two age restrictions to up to nine years when first registered and up to 15 years when re-registered. A decision is expected within two months of the close of the consultation period on 25 February. If the decision is to amend the existing policy,
the
implementation date will depend on what changes are being made.
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