IoL - 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: this article represents the views of the author which are not presented as the views of the IoL.
April has just passed and is traditionally the month for ‘April fools’ however with huge pressures on many households and businesses through increased costs, rising covid rates and events in Ukraine there was perhaps understandably reduced appetite for such frivolity this year in many quarters.
However, despite national and international events, the sheer number of ‘goings on’ in the world of licensing has empha- sised that there is never a dull moment and plenty of reasons to ensure that you remain ‘in the know’ about matters which will affect the trade.
Whilst many readers I am sure will be looking forward to the upcoming PHTM EXPO at the end of May, on a personal note it is with sadness to say that I will not be able to come along this year – I had already booked to be away for the half-term holidays – however please do pop by to see my colleagues on the Institute of Licensing stand at the Expo and hopefully I will see you at the event next time!
So, what’s been happening in licensing recently? TAX CONDITIONALITY
April, as the start of the new tax year saw ‘Tax Conditionality’ take effect, requiring tax checks as part of the licence application process for drivers and operators. It is essential that all drivers and operators are aware of the Tax Condition- ality requirements, as councils will now not be able to process a renewal application unless the applicant provides a nine-character tax check code.
As a reminder, HMRC has provided some useful guidance for applicants. You will find this on their website at:
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/changes-for-taxi-private- hire-or-scrap-metal-licence-applications-from-april-2022
LEVELLING-UP WHITE PAPER
The Government recently launched its Levelling Up White Paper setting out a long-term programme of change to unlock the potential of people and places across the UK. One small part of the plans, which may lead to future consulta- tion, includes plans to explore more devolution of transport powers and responsibilities in England, including reducing the number of licensing authorities by moving control of taxi/PH licensing to combined and upper tier authorities.
84 On page 179, the White Paper states:
“The UK Government will also explore devolving more trans- port powers and responsibilities in England … The UK Government will also explore transferring control of taxi and private hire vehicle licensing to both combined authorities and upper-tier authorities. Taxis and PHVs are a key part of local transport systems, so this would allow LTAs to fully integrate these modes into their Local Transport Plans.”
This follows the recommendation in the Task and Finish Group report that the Government should emulate the model of licensing which currently exists in London in large urban areas as well as consider the consolidation of non- metropolitan licensing areas.
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE TRAVEL – TAXI/PH SERVICES
Findings of quantitative and qualitative research into WAV taxis and PHV services by the DfT has been published. The quantitative research aimed to measure the number of peo- ple who use a wheelchair and travel by WAV taxis or PHVs in England. The qualitative research was designed to explore the experiences and attitudes of people using these services.
The report drew several conclusions:
• The perception of cost is likely to be influenced by the types of participants spoken to. The research did not explore the perspectives of those who might wish to use these services but those who feel they are not affordable. Speaking to these people will offer more insight into the likely triggers and barriers that mean people do or don’t decide to use these services.
• It’s clear that the experience and engagement of drivers is crucial to the user’s experience. Speaking to drivers about their perspective – in particular, about the training they do or do not receive – will help understand how to start addressing some of the variable experiences participants shared across this study. Similarly, it could be insightful to discover the issues drivers face that prevent them waiting to collect people who use wheelchairs after delayed appointments and the challenges they face in getting hold of and maintaining adapted vehicles.
• Participants talked about how the type of vehicle they use and how this varies. Conducting research among those responsible for vehicle design and those who purchase these vehicles – either personally or for fleet use – might help shed light on ways to improve the user experience.
There are two clear takeaways from the qualitative research that are worth reiterating here:
1. Provision is patchy and scarcity gives rise to greater stress over availability and reliability, as well as lowering percep- tions of independence. Improving the scale of service provision will help to make people’s lives better.
MAY 2022
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