Issue - meetings

Recommendations

1)     To consider the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy attached at Appendix A and the alternative version recommended by the General Licensing and Registration Committee at Appendix D.

2)     To approve the content of the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy attached at Appendix D as a draft for consultation, subject to the removal of the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) option in relation to the hackney carriage vehicle specification.

3)     To approve the commencement of a public consultation to seek views on the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy and any viable alternatives, including the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) option.

Considered – A report of the Corporate Director Environment seeking approval to consult on a revised Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy.  The existing policy had been revised to take account of the draft Inclusive Service Plan considered at Minute 579.

The item was considered in conjunction with Minute 579, with only the recommendations and vote being taken separately.

Resolved (unanimously) - that

1)     the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy attached at Appendix A and the alternative version recommended by the General Licensing and Registration Committee at Appendix D be noted

2)     the content of the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy attached at Appendix D be approved as a draft for consultation

3)     the commencement of a public consultation to seek views on the draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy and any viable alternatives be approved

(Councillor Gareth Dadd was not in the meeting room for the vote on this item)

Reasons for recommendations

The Council has committed to reviewing the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy with a view to making hackney carriage and private hire services more inclusive and the Council must have regard to the Department for Transport’s Best Practice Guidance.

Alternative options considered

The Council may consider retaining the existing policy. However, the current shortage of wheelchair accessible vehicles would be highly unlikely to change and any outstanding items from the Department for Transport’s Best Practice Guidance would not be implemented.

Alternative options have already been explored to encourage more wheelchair accessible vehicles to be licensed in North Yorkshire by waiving the licence fee and relaxing the age limits on WAVs. However, the number of hackney carriage WAVs in North Yorkshire remains very low and there is no reasonable expectation that this will change without further intervention.

Alternative options have subsequently been considered to address the shortage of wheelchair accessible vehicles (including imposing a mandatory wheelchair accessible requirement on all licensed vehicles). The current proposal, however, is considered a more reasonable and proportionate measure to satisfy the Council’s public sector equality duty and its air quality obligations without imposing unnecessary regulatory burdens on businesses.