ROUND THE COUNCILS INVERCLYDE:
FLAW IN TAXI LICENCE APPLICATION PROCESS
A flaw in how taxi licence applications are handled by Inver- clyde Council has been discovered during an internal audit by council chiefs. According to the Greenock Telegraph, as part of the work, the local authority’s licensing team carry out a number of checks on each new application form, including checking that the address on the new application matches the address on the applicant’s driver’s licence. If this is found not to match, staff contact the applicant to prompt them to update the driver’s licence to their current address and provide a copy. The audit however found that licensing staff do not carry out any further checks on the address, leaving a risk that the data provided may be fraudulent. The findings were discussed at a meeting of the council’s Audit Committee on October 19 where it was recommended that “Members agree to note the progress made by internal audit in the period from 29 July to 27 September 2019”.
HYNDBURN: HALF OF TAXIS AND PHVS CHECKED HAD FAULTS
A Hyndburn taxi safety operation has found that half of the vehicles tested had faults. LancsLive reports that the routine checks were carried out last month by Hyndburn Borough Council licensing officers, with the support of police and mechanics. In an email neighbourhood alert, PC Graham Hartley said 12 council-licensed vehicles were checked, of which six had no faults. But one was served with immediate prohibition, four had delayed faults, and one Section 68 notice (fitness of private hire vehicles) was issued. PC Hartley said: “This was a very good example of partner- ship working to ensure that members of the local community who use HBC taxis can be assured that the vehicles that they are getting into are fit and safe for purpose.” In a statement, a council spokesperson said: “Only one vehicle exhibited a serious fault and was issued with a suspension notice by the council and a prohibition notice from VOSA. “Other vehicle faults reported were either corrected at the time, or indicated by dashboard notifications and scheduled to be fixed at the earliest opportunity. “Examples included an advisory notice for a tyre and for another vehicle, a small amount of rust. “The safety of Hyndburn residents and our taxi drivers is something we take very seriously and we will continue to ensure our vehicles are correctly maintained.”
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WORCESTER: CRIMINAL CHECKS PROPOSED
Worcester City Council has drawn up proposed changes to its Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy in response to national guidance published by the Government. “This is an important consultation which we are contacting operators and the trade about directly, and I hope as many residents and passengers as possible will give us their views. Cllr Allah Ditta, chair of the City Council’s Licensing and Environmental Health Committee, said: “The last 20 months have been difficult for our city’s taxi drivers and I want to thank them for continuing to operate through such a challenging time. “These new rules are good news for them and their customers, helping passengers to feel safe and helping drivers to report their concerns if they spot vulnerable people who might be at risk of exploitation,” he added. Customers, residents and taxi drivers can visit:
www.worcester.gov.uk/voiceit by January 7 to air their views.
WEYMOUTH AND PORTLAND: NEW REGULATIONS TO LIMIT NUMBER OF TAXIS
Hackney carriage licences in Weymouth and Portland are likely to be limited to 80 vehicles over the next three years. The proposal is expected to become part of new taxi regu- lations which will be agreed by Dorset Council later this year. The Dorset Echo reports that the area is the only place in the rural county where there is said to be no unmet demand, apart for WAVs, which are still likely to be approved in the area provided they meet the criteria. The new policy, which brings together the regulations for the whole of the Dorset Council area for the first time, sets out rules for safeguarding checks, driver conduct, fares and fare cards, the duty to carry guide dogs and assistant dogs, how to deal with found property and how to deal with customer and other personal information. The regulations include the standard vehicles are expected to meet although it lays down no limits on the age, mileage or type of vehicle, other than to say they must pass a twice yearly mechanical check. Councillors were told that, although it could not be enforced, drivers would be encouraged to use EVs or zero emission vehicles when considering a replacement. The new policy brings together regulations and standards from the six, previous, Dorset councils and comes about after meetings of stakeholder groups earlier in the year and a 12-week public consultation which ended in September and attracted 35 comments.
NOVEMBER 2021
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