Agenda item

To consider the attached report.

The Assistant Director (Legal) presented a report on the consultation undertaken regarding taxis in the District and the Quality Taxi Partnership. The Committee were informed that the Quality Taxi Partnership had been set up by the County Council to share good practice amongst District Councils, as well as provide funding for initiatives that would improve the service for the public. Periodic meetings would review the District Council’s working practices, and consequently it had been recommended that the Council join the Partnership.

The Assistant Director stated that since the last meeting of the Committee, further research had been carried out in respect of introducing a Knowledge Test within the District for new Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Drivers. A software package called Diamond had been recommended by other Councils, and it was felt that tests could be administered in the IT Training Room, which would reduce costs as up to eight candidates could be tested at the same time. It was expected that a new member of staff would be required to cover the extra work, but it was expected that a temporary member of staff would be initially employed in case the number of applications began to fall. It was estimated that the charge for each test would be £30, with a £17.50 charge for re-tests. Go Skills had issued a DVD called “This Time Every Time” which encouraged drivers to consider the needs of their passengers, especially when dealing with disabled people. It was proposed that this be shown to Drivers when they attended to take their test.

The Assistant Director reported that all the operators who had previously indicated they operated wheelchair accessible taxis had been written to with an offer to place details of their service on the Council’s website. Only two such operators had taken up the Council’s offer. In respect of Green issues, enforcement action had been taken against the holders of taxi licences who had not had interim checks carried out on their vehicles, ensuring that not only were the vehicles safe but running efficiently. There were no plans to stipulate any further conditions regarding emissions for those vehicles used for private hire or hackney carriage fares.

The Committee were generally in favour of implementing Knowledge Tests and joining the Quality Taxi Partnership, but felt that the current DVLA test was sufficient for measuring driving competency. The Committee acknowledged that there would be a substantial number of cross border fares into London, but accepted that it was only practicable to test new drivers for knowledge of the Epping Forest District. The Committee was reassured that there were no security issues in using the IT Training Room to administer the test provided the applicants were escorted and supervised by Licensing Officers. It was felt that the implementation of a knowledge test would discourage applications from drivers who felt that Epping Forest was an easy place to get a licence and had no intention of working in the District.

The Committee felt that the offer to operators with vehicles adapted for wheelchairs should be extended such that they would be advertised at the Council Information outlets across the District and not just the website. It was also felt that the same opportunities should be offered to those companies that operated vehicles with low carbon emissions. The Committee queried why the re-test fee had not been set at the same level as the test fee, and felt that the workload should initially be absorbed by the existing staff before reviewing whether extra staff were required.

The Assistant Director responded that the re-test fee could be adjusted to £30 but it was always intended to review the income levels and whether the charges would require adjustment. The Committee were informed that there had been a lot of work involved in setting up these initiatives, hence the possible request for an extra member of staff.

RESOLVED:

(1)        That, as set up by Essex County Council, the Quality Taxi Partnership be joined by the Council;

(2)        That a Knowledge Test be introduced for Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Vehicle Drivers licensed for the first time;

(3)        That the requirement for all Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Vehicle Drivers licensed for the first time to also view the Go Skills DVD “This Time Every Time” when they undertake their Knowledge Test be noted;

(4)        That no conditions be imposed on vehicles in relation to Green issues;

(5)        That only two taxi companies took advantage of the Council’s offer to put their details on the Council website if they had a specially adapted vehicle for wheelchairs be noted;

(6)        That the same opportunity be offered to those taxi companies which operated vehicles with reduced carbon emissions, namely that they could advertise on the Council’s website; and

(7)        That this information be displayed at the Council’s Information outlets across the District as well as the Council’s website, regarding vehicles with either wheelchair access and/or reduced carbon emissions.