Agenda item

Report of Director of Service Delivery.

The Committee considered the report of the Director of Service Delivery which provided feedback received from the trade, and sought an amendment to the age of vehicles in the taxi and private hire vehicle sector, and an annual review of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Guidance commencing in June 2023.

The Committee welcomed the collaboratory work between Officers and the trade.

Members’ questions included:

• Were the door signs on Hackney Carriage vehicles getting smaller?  Officers confirmed the door signs had reduced in size due to operating costs.
• Could the 10 year age limit on vehicles be extended for relicensing? Officers advised that the purpose of the report was to make more options available for drivers to find new vehicles, as the cost of them had significantly increased.  All other Licensing Authorities throughout East and West Sussex had a 10-year cap on the age of vehicles.  This was a measure to help support the trade during the transition, prior to taking into account the outcomes of the feasibility study on low or no emission vehicles. 
• Were there any private hire or hackney carriage vehicles on the roads that were more than 5 years old?  Officers advised that a vehicle must be no more than 5 years old when it was first registered. Although, there might be exceptional circumstances which the authorised officer would determine.  It was not possible to list them all. Applications were dealt with on the information provided, on a case by case basis, and at the discretion of the officer.
• Members raised concerns that the knowledge test was out of date.  Officers had taken on board feedback from the trade to be more transparent, and had produced a revision document that took into account the weighting of questions and the additional requirements of the Department of Transport guidance, to advise applicants on what they needed to research for the test from the examples provided. The changes to the test would take effect from 1 April 2023. The English test would not be included as part of the knowledge test, as the requirement for it had not come in until a later date.  This would be undertaken separately.
• Officers were asked to explain Options 1 and 2 in the recommendation.  Officers advised the report proposed to extend the age limit for newly licensed vehicles from 5 years to 9 years, as a temporary measure and to review the age of vehicles when the overall Guidance was next reviewed.  The Guidance would take into consideration an emissions policy. 
• Officers were asked to provide case studies to give an idea of the principles used to make the decision as to the meaning of ‘exceptional circumstances’ and for the Committee to discuss the Guidance on ‘exceptional circumstances’. Officers advised there would be an opportunity to discuss and review the overall Guidance at the Licensing Committee meeting in June 2023 and agreed to provide more clarity as to the meaning of ‘exceptional circumstances’.  

The Committee considered the Option 1 and Option 2 set out in paragraph 3.1 of the report and indicated that they wished to support both options, and also supported reviewing Hackney and Private Hire Guidance on an annual basis starting in June 2023.

Councillor Babarinde proposed a motion to agree the officer recommendations set out in the report, including Option 1 for introducing an immediate incentive for ultra-low or zero emission vehicles.  This was seconded by Councillor Vaughan. This was put to a vote and carried unanimously.

Councillor Vaughan proposed a further motion to agree the officer recommendations set out in the report, including Option 2, to review the age of vehicles formally when the Guidance is next reviewed.  This was seconded by Councillor Parker. This was put to a vote and carried unanimously.

Resolved (unanimous) that:

1.   The Licensing Committee accept Option 1, that the Licensing Committee agrees as an immediate incentive, the Eastbourne Borough Council Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Guidance be amended to allow for an older vehicle in age to be newly licensed, and amended as follows:-

Vehicles presented for first licensing shall not be more than nine years old from the date of initial DVLA registration and vehicles presented for re-licensing shall not be more than ten years old apart from in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of an Authorised Officer. Applications to re licence vehicles over ten years old must be made in writing to the Council citing what is an ‘exceptional circumstance’. Financial matters nor the condition of the vehicle come into this exceptions category and will not be considered in the determination. For new and relicensed vehicles defined by the Vehicle Certification Agency as Ultra Low Emission Vehicles and Zero Emission Vehicles shall not be more than 15 years old in age.

Resolved (unanimous) that:

2.    The Licensing Committee accept Option 2, Review the age of vehicles when the Guidance is next reviewed in June 2023.