Agenda item

This report seeks Members’ determination of an application for a Private Hire Operators Licence. The operating premises will be situated at Unit 1, Heritage Park, Outgang Lane, York, North Yorkshire, YO19 5UP.

Members considered a report which sought determination of an application made under Section 55, Part 2 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 by Bilal Husain Iqbal, trading as ‘Dash’, for a Private Hire Operators Licence, operating from Unit 1, Heritage Park, Outgang Lane, York YO19 5LP.

In coming to their decision, the Committee took into consideration all the evidence and submissions that were presented, as follows:

1.      The Taxi Licensing Manager’s report and his comments at the meeting.  He outlined the information set out in the report and annexes, adding that two further complaints about parking at the premises had been received since the report was published. 

2.      The application form and the submissions made by the Applicant at the meeting, during which he confirmed that he did not hold an Operator’s licence with any other authority.  In response to questions from Members, he also confirmed that he was a manager for York Cars Taxis, one of two companies that currently operated from the premises.

Members considered the following options:

Option 1

Grant the licence as requested, with the standard and additional conditions attached, for a period of one year.

Option 2

Grant the licence with modified / additional conditions imposed by the licensing committee for a period of one year.

Option 3

Refuse the application, providing the grounds for refusal.

Following consideration of the options, it was:

Resolved:  That Option 3 be approved and the application be refused.

Reason:     On 29 September 2022 the Applicant’s City of York private hire driver’s licence was revoked due to a CU80 (mobile phone offence) and an appeal against this revocation was dismissed by York Magistrates’ Court.  The Applicant further disclosed on his Private Hire Operator application that the private hire driver’s licence he held with the City of Wolverhampton Council was also revoked in 2022.  The Committee has an expectation that a private hire operator will set an example of high standards to its private hire drivers.  The CU80 offence gave rise to concerns with trust and confidence in the Applicant’s integrity as an operator, going to the heart of the ‘protection of the public’ consideration which is the reason for licensing private hire operators.  This gave Members a reasonable cause to believe he was not ‘fit and proper’ to hold a private hire operator’s licence.