ROUND THE COUNCILS NOTTINGHAM: TAXIS TO BE LICENSED FOR 10 YEARS
A new council policy has been introduced to allow Nottingham taxis and PHVs to be licensed for ten years. Nottingham City Council’s current rule allows PHVs to be licensed up to four years, and six years for hackney carriages. Both will now be licensed until they reach ten years from the date of first registration. The authority said the 2017 policy was reviewed in light of different circumstances and changes in the trade. The city council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee approved the revised Age and Specification policy following a public consultation which came into effect on Monday 1 April. Public feedback from the consultation supported proposals to extend the age limits of taxis and these were taken into consideration by the committee. Now PHVs and taxis will be initially licensed up to ten years, and continue, if required, up to 15 years. Black cab driver Amjid Hussain said: “The local trade welcomes these licensing changes. They were necessary to bring us in line with the taxi industry up and down the country. It would not have been possible without the relevant departments working vigorously to make it happen, so I’d also like to thank the council officers and the councillors involved.” In addition to the policy, PHVs will now have annual enhanced MOTs up to ten years of age, or 11 years if they are fully electric. They would then be subject to further six-monthly checks. Black cabs will have the annual enhanced MOT up to 11 years of age, with checks twice a year. The city council says taxis will be subject to spot checks. If found to have flaws that affect public safety, the driver could have their licence suspended. It added that the policy was also revised to reflect alterations to national guidance and policy. Audrey Dinnall, chair of the committee, said: “These changes have been introduced because we under- stand the pressures felt by the trade in recovering from the pandemic, the cost-of-living crisis and changes to customer demand.” Sajid Mohammed, portfolio holder for neighbour- hoods, safety and inclusion, said: “We’re working to support and promote the taxi trade, making it as resilient as possible. It’s an industry which provides close to 3,000 jobs in our city and it’s right we work with drivers and taxi firms to show it’s a safe and convenient mode of transport to get around Nottingham.”
PHTM MAY 2024
EAST RENFREWSHIRE: TEST DROPPED DUE TO BACKLOG
A practical test for new taxi and private hire drivers in East Renfrewshire has been dropped due to a massive backlog. Officials at East Renfrewshire Council reported 120 tests currently need to be completed - and the process could take around 300 hours over three to four months. They proposed limiting the Knowledge test to a written test only. The council’s licensing committee approved the change on Tuesday 9 April. The new rules will apply to all drivers with outstanding practical tests, and any new applicants for taxi or private hire licences. A two-part test was introduced to “improve customer service standards”, with the practical part involving an applicant being asked to drive to certain locations across the East Renfrewshire Council area while accompanied by a licensing enforcement official. However, a report to the licensing committee stated periods of “long-term staff absence, allied to the labour intensive nature of this process, have resulted in a backlog of tests”. It added: “The total processing time for a single test has been calculated as 2.5 hours. If the current process is retained, it is reasonably estimated that it will take approximately 300 hours over three to four months to clear the backlog.” Currently, to “avoid unnecessary delays in processing applications”, licences are issued “conditional on the test being subsequently passed by the applicant”. The intention has been to conduct tests within six months of the licence being granted, but there are “now a number of applications where the delay exceeds this timeframe”. “In order to clear the backlog, maintain the service standards of drivers on the road and minimise any future delays it is proposed to amend the process by limiting the test to a written examination,” the report added.
It added the move will allow multiple candidates to be tested at the same time and free up officials to carry out enforcement duties. The redesigned written test will be “maintained by the clerk through time to ensure it remains accurate and up to date”. It will be conducted in “an exam hall style setting”, but can be adapted to address equality issues.
35
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
