Licensing and Regulatory Committee

4 October 2022

 

Report of the Director – Environment, Transport and Planning

 

New hackney carriage licences – referral to Council

Summary

1.   This brief report is further to the decision of this Committee on 7 June  2022, and the Executive on 28 July 2022. As a matter of administration, Members are asked to refer to Council the decision to amend the council’s taxi licensing policy in respect of the number of hackney carriage licences issued.

Recommendations

2.      That Council approve the issuing of ten new hackney carriage vehicle licences (three that have not been renewed and seven additional licences), bringing the total number to 190.

 

Reason:             

 

To help meet unmet demand for hackney carriage vehicles, particularly from users with a disability, and coupled with the proposed specification for those newly licensed vehicles provide a more environmentally friendly and easily recognisable hackney carriage fleet in the city in response to the declared climate emergency and continuing desire to improve air quality.

 

Background

3.      On 7th June 2022, Members of this committee considered a detailed report in to the unmet demand for hackney carriages and resolved that ‘it be recommended to Executive to make available 9 new hackney carriage vehicle licences (the two that had not been renewed, plus seven additional licences) with immediate effect to bring the total up to 190 as recommended within the unmet demand report.’ 

4,      Please note, that since this decision was taken, another licence has ‘become available’ having not been renewed. This means that the council would now be making ten new licences available in total, but the total number of licences the council would issue i.e. 190 remains unchanged.

5.      At the same meeting Members unanimously resolved to ‘recommend to the Executive to amend the Taxi Licensing Policy to the vehicle specification in paragraph 25 with regards to the grant of any new hackney carriage vehicles licences’.

6.      The Council’s Taxi Licensing Policy states at paragraph 23.7 ‘The types of vehicles that new hackney carriage vehicle licences will be issued to will be determined by the Executive, if/when the Council determines to issue new licences.’

7.      It will be noted however that the taxi licensing policy only states that the Executive must consider the type of vehicles licensed and not the number of vehicles licensed. At the Executive meeting on 28 July 2022, the Executive Members approved this Committee’s recommendation in respect of the type of vehicles that any new licences should be issued to, in reaching that decision they were also made aware of your recommendation in respect of the number of licences (it was also highlighted that another licence had become available). However, as it is not specified in the Taxi Licensing Policy, they were not invited to refer the decision on the number of licences to Council.

8.      As a matter of process, this report now asks Members to refer the decision on the number of licences to Council.

Consultation

9.      The extensive consultation undertaken with passengers, the taxi trade and businesses as part of the unmet demand survey is included in the background reports.

 

Options

10. This report is an administrative matter concerning the referral of your previous resolution to Council, and therefore there are no options to consider.

 
Analysis

11. There is no analysis associated with this specific report.

           

Council Priorities

 

12.    Increasing the number of hackney carriage vehicle licences to the type of vehicle specified will support the Council’s priorities in respect of the following:

 

· A greener and cleaner city

· Safe communities and culture for all

 

Implications

13.    The direct implications arising from this report are:

(a)  Financial – There are no financial implications for the council

 

(b)  Human Resources (HR) - There are no HR implications

 

 

(c)  Equalities – An equalities impact assessment of the recommendations leading to the previous resolutions is contained in the background papers.

 

(d)  Legal – The legal implications relating to the previous resolutions are contained in the background papers

 

(e)  Crime and Disorder – There are no crime and disorder implications.

                

(f)    Information Technology (IT) - There are no IT implications

 

(g)  Property - There are no property implications.

 

(h)  Other - There are no other implications.

 

 

Risk Management

 

14.    The risk management implications are contained in the background papers.

 

Contact Details

Author:

Chief Officer Responsible for the report:

Matt Boxall

Head of Public Protection

 

James Gilchrist

Director Environment, Transport and Planning

 

Report Approved

√

Date

26/09/2022

Specialist Implications Officer(s) 

 

Wards Affected: 

All

√

 

For further information please contact the author of the report

 

Background Papers

 

Taxi Licensing Policy

https://www.york.gov.uk/downloads/download/54/taxi-licensing-policy

Licensing and Regulatory Committee – Tuesday 7 June 2022, 5pm

https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=606&MId=13445&Ver=4

Executive – Thursday 28 July 2022, 5.30pm

https://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=606&MId=13445&Ver=4