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Licensing & Regulatory Committee
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2 September 2024 |
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Report from the Director – Environment, Transport and Planning |
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Taxi Licensing Update Report
Summary
1. This report is to advise Members of the current situation relating to the new Hackney Carriage Vehicle (HCV) licence allocations.
Background
Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence Allocations
2. On 7th June 2022, Members of this committee considered a report relating to the unmet demand for hackney carriages and resolved that it be recommended to Executive to make available nine new hackney carriage vehicle licences (two licences that had not been renewed at that time, plus seven additional licences) to bring the total number of licensed vehicles up to 190. This was the number recommended within the unmet demand survey dated February 2022. It was further recommended that the vehicles be black in colour, wheelchair accessible and fully electric or plug-in electric hybrid. That resolution was subsequently approved by the Executive (28 July 2022) and Council (20 October 2022), in the process another licence became available and so making ten licences available in total.
3. A second report was agreed by the Licensing and Regulatory Committee on the 10th October 2023. This report asked approval for officers to contact everyone currently on the hackney carriage vehicle licence waiting list, to see if they would like to submit an expression of interest in relation to one of the available licences. Anyone submitting an expression of interest should be in a position to obtain and submit a vehicle for licensing. NB. A further accessible hackney carriage licence became available – making eleven in total – which officers also offered as part of this process.
4. Officers undertook members’ instructions, and as a result twenty-two positive expressions of interest for a hackney carriage vehicle licence were received. This number has since increased and thirty-four expressions of interest (since the report in October 2023).
The current situation
5. Officers have progressed through the list, inviting applicants in turn to submit an application for a hackney carriage vehicle licence.
6. Some of the applicants on the list withdrew from the application process after a licence had been offered. This led to a delay in the implementation of all new licences.
7. To date, eight of the new accessible hackney carriage vehicle licences have been issued and these are now in operation, the other three have been offered to applicants and are expected to be in operation by the end of October 2024 (if the offer is accepted).
8. There are still five individuals remaining on the expression of interest list.
9. At the end of the allocation process when all the HCV licences have been issued, the current waiting list will be re-evaluated and everyone remaining will be informed of their current position.
Consultation
10. As this is an update report there has been no consultation in relation to it.
Analysis
11. As this is an update report there is no analysis of recommendations.
Council Plan
12. The updates support the Council Plan priorities for:
· A fair, thriving, green economy for all
· Sustainable accessible transport for all
Implications
13. The implications arising directly from this report are:
· Financial – There are no direct financial implications.
· Human Resources (HR) – There are no HR implications.
· Equalities – It is recognised that licensed taxis and private hire vehicles are a particularly important method of transport for people with disabilities and other vulnerable passengers including school children because of the door-door service they provide.
· Legal – There are no legal implications arising directly from this update report.
· Crime and Disorder – There are no crime and disorder implications.
· Information Technology (IT) – There are no IT implications.
· Property – There are no property implications.
· Other – There are no other implications.
Risk Management.
14. There are no known risks involved with this update report.
Contact Details.
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Author: |
Chief Officer Responsible for the report: |
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David Cowley Taxi Licensing Manager Ext 2422
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James Gilchrist Director Environment, Transport & Planning
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Report Approved |
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Date |
22.8.24 |
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Wards Affected: All. |
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Background Papers
Committee report 7th June 2022.
https://democracy.york.gov.uk/documents/s159390/Unmet%20demand%20report%202022%20-%20final.pdf
Committee report 11th October 2023.
https://democracy.york.gov.uk/documents/s170214/Information%20Report%20HCV%20Licences%202023.pdf
Committee report 16th January 2024. https://democracy.york.gov.uk/documents/s172352/Information%20Report%20HCV%20Licence%20Allocations%20and%20Policy.pdf
Annexes
None