Issue - meetings

The Committee gave consideration to a report of the Trading Standards and Licensing Manager which asked Members to approve the recommendations, following consultation, on the Greater Manchester Minimum Licensing Standards for Private Hire and Hackney vehicles.

Member were informed that the recommendations of the Greater Manchester Licensing Network followed their consultation on Greater Manchester’s Minimum Licensing Standards which closed in December 2020.

It was noted that Hackney and Private Hire services were a hugely important part of the transport sector. Collectively, they provided more journeys for residents and visitors than Metrolink or local rail, and they represented a significant part of the economy, employing over 20,000 people across the city region.

Minimum Licensing Standards (MLS) for all GM local authorities represented a means of achieving a range of shared goals, including:

·         improving public safety;

·         helping deliver clean air and reducing carbon emissions.

·         supporting the locally licensed hackney and private hire trades; and

·         complying with the Governments statutory guidance on safeguarding.

Overall, the GM approach looked to provide:

·         the public with safe, visible and high-quality hackney and private hire

services

·         the hackney and private hire trades with clarity over what the required

standards will be over the long term, and through the GM Clean Air Plan, with unprecedented investment to help renew the fleet, and

·         local authorities with the continued regulatory role in relation to driver,

vehicle and operator licensing whilst retaining scope to exceed the MLS as agreed locally by elected members.

The proposed minimum licensing standards for vehicles covered the following nine areas:

·         Emissions

·         Age

·         Colour

·         Hackney carriages

·         Testing of vehicles

·         CCTV

·         Executive hire

·         Vehicle design and licensing requirements; and

·         Licence conditions

The Committee was informed that, whilst the principles of the GM proposals and recommendations were proposed for adoption in Oldham, it was felt that a longer lead-in period for converting the existing hackney carriage fleet to purpose built, emission compliant wheelchair accessible vehicles was required, taking into account the economic impact of having to convert to purpose built vehicles. A longer transition period was therefore recommended in the report, with all hackney carriages converting over to purpose-built wheelchair accessible vehicles by the 31st December 2029. In doing so it was noted that, due to the age policy, vehicles would begin to reach their maximum age in a staggered phase over the next eight years.

Members noted that the Greater Manchester Combined Authority had endorsed the proposals at its meeting on the 29th October 2021. When the proposals were discussed with Members at the Policy Overview and Scrutiny Committee on the 9th November 2021, they had made two recommendations:

1.    That the Licensing Committee raise its concerns about out of area

licensed vehicles working in Oldham at GM level; and

2.    That Officers be asked to discuss how more wheelchair accessible private hire vehicles could be brought on to the Oldham fleet.

The Committee considered the recommendations set out in the report.

In relation to recommendation 2, Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

·         £20 million  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6