ROUND THE COUNCILS PRESTON:
VIEWS SOUGHT ON NEW LICENSING POLICIES
Preston City Council has invited residents to have their say on new taxi and private hire licensing policies. The council has launched a consultation on new draft policies for PHVs, drivers and operators in response to government’s Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards. Cllr David Borrow, a cabinet member for planning and regulation, said: “We already have high standards in Preston, and many of the recommendations will only strengthen safeguarding measures for drivers and passengers.” Changes include regular DBS checks for drivers, vehicle proprietors and operators, along with improving ‘staying safe’ guidance for passengers. The consultation is open until 22 October 2021. For more information, visit:
https://www.preston.gov.uk/taxilicensingpolicyconsultation
SOUTH TYNESIDE: RANK CHANGES APPROVED IN SOUTH SHIELD
Plans to extend the hours of a hackney carriage stand in South Shields to support the hospitality sector have been backed by councillors. The Shields Gazette reports that South Tyneside Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee were given an update on the taxi rank on Keppel Street, near the rear of the town centre’s McDonald’s branch. The stand was appointed in 2019 as part of the ongoing regeneration of the town centre, and shaped over the road from the new transport interchange, creating space for nine taxis operating from there between set times. This included from 11pm to 5am with the space remaining as a loading bay outside of these hours. But as life changed with Covid-19, South Tyneside Council looked again at the rank. According to a report presented to councillors, the pandemic “never allowed the council to consider the rank in action.” As the “early evening hospitality sector is now in recovery mode,” the report adds, “it is considered that this rank should now be amended to run from [an] earlier time.” Council officers proposed allowing the rank to open between 6pm-5am every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. James Maughan, the council’s operations manager for resilience, presented a report on the proposals at a council meeting on Friday, September 10. He told councillors that the proposed changes aimed to “support the night-time economy in South Shields” and had been discussed with interested parties to ensure that they
OCTOBER 2021
were suitable. The council officer went on to say: “The changes have been discussed with representatives from the Hackney Carriage Association and with consideration and consultation with police and colleagues in [the council’s] traffic services.” To officially change the times for the rank, the council has to go through a legal process including publishing a public notice and statutory 28-day representation period. The council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee backed the plans for the time changes, subject to the results of this process. Any representations submitted during the consultation will be considered at a future date.
SWINDON: REAR-LOADING ACCESSIBLE TAXIS ALLOWED
Taxi drivers in Swindon will be able to buy and operate cars which allow wheelchairs users to enter at the rear of the vehicle. The Swindon Advertiser reports that members of Swindon Borough Council’s licensing committee unanimously approved a proposal, put forward by the Swindon Taxi Association, to allow the licensing of rear-loading vehicles to be used as hackney carriages. Licensing manger Kathryn Ashton said: “All new hackney carriages licensed have to be purpose built and wheelchair accessible. There are some saloon cars operating with grandfather rights, but the rest are all accessible. At the moment we only license side-loading vehicles.” The council had made that decision some years ago because it was concerned about passengers in wheelchairs being unsafe if vehicles were struck from behind. “If the committee approves the proposal, I can assure it that we will still only license purpose-built accessible vehicles, not any old van that has been converted,” she added. The proposal had been put forward by Swindon’s taxi driver association and member Andy Lucas spoke to the committee. He said: “Fewer and fewer taxi manufacturers are making side-loading vehicles. They’re all going over to rear-loading. Wheelchairs are getting bigger
– especially
electric vehicles – and there are height restrictions on getting in at the side of the vehicle. It means there are some types of wheelchair that we cannot take. A rear-loader is a simple drive-on and reverse off and it would make it more accessible for everyone.” Government statutory standards for taxis was also discussed and Ms Ashton told the committee: “We are doing all of these things already, but not in one consolidated policy. I’m proposing to come back to the next meeting in October with a consolidated policy document which covers all of these statutory standards, but rest assured we are already well-placed with regard to this.” Ms Ashton’s proposal was approved unanimously by the committee.
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