Agenda item

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 towards renewing the fleet – for the hackney and private hire trade across Greater Manchester (GM).

·         An equal share for each District – one central pot, with potential for further funding.

·         Need established in each area – this information had been provided. The fund would be allocated on a “first come first served” basis, limited to one vehicle per applicant initially. Later applicants would be able to bid for up to five vehicles. Oldham had 308 non-compliant private hire vehicles along with approximately half of the hackney fleet.

·         Cost per vehicle – a penalty of £7.50 per day if they were not compliant by 2023. Three were different levels of grant available depending on the vehicle and modifications and the levels had been set by GM.

·         Support available to help the trade apply for the grants – funding had been secured by GM to provide support from early 2022.

·         Further funding – the government had said further funding could be requested and there was no commitment to making it available. it would be made clear to the trade that they needed to get their applications in early.   

 

In relation to recommendation 3, Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

·         Amendment proposed – in relation to existing vehicles. Current vehicles could still be licensed up to 12 years old until 1^st April 2024.

·         Common across GM – different across authorities, this was the proposal for Oldham.

 

In relation to recommendation 10, Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

·         Advertising allowed – wraps were allowed on London-style hackneys and were not usually made for other vehicle styles.

 

In relation to recommendation 11, Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

·         Private hire wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV’s) to be purpose-built – private hire WAV’s were usually modified vehicles.

·         Change to current policy – the maximum age for a private hire vehicle would be reduced to 10 years and this would be common across GM.

 

In relation to recommendation 12, Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

·         Number plates and company names – licence plates remained as they were and door signs would be printed tot the Oldham standard

·         Star rating – suspended some time ago and any proposals would be brought to the Committee for consideration

·         Corporate logo in teal colour – yes

·         Durable stickers – there for public safety. As they deteriorated with age, they could be replaced

·         Colour checked with sensory team for the visually impaired – the main concern expressed during the consultation with them was in regard to white vehicles, not the stickers

·         Operator signage – GM would be placing the contract so it would be standard across GM. Drivers for more than one operator may need to swap stickers for each operator.

·         Bonnet stickers to include licence number – could look into this, however it would add to the cost as they would all need to be personalised rather than standard. They would also need to be changed if the licence number changed.

 

In relation to recommendation 14, Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

·         Timescale for the new policy – expected to be drafted by the end of March 2022 to go out to consultation

 

In relation to recommendation 17, Members asked for and received clarification on the following:-

·         Replace the word accident with incident - agreed

 

RESOLVED that :-

1. The endorsement of the Stage 2 proposed outlined in Appendix 1 of the report by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority be noted.
2. All new to licence vehicles be compliant with the new emissions standards as outlined in Appendix 1 of the report.
3. Existing private hire licensed vehicles which are not compliant with the new emissions standards should begin to transition to replacement vehicles with the deadline for doing so being the 1st April 2024.
4. The strong ambition within Greater Manchester to move existing fleets to zero emission capable (ZEC) as soon as possible be noted.
5. The implementation of the standard that all hackney carriage vehicles (HCV) are to be purpose-built wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV) and to begin to transition to that position be agreed.
6. All existing non wheelchair accessible hackney carriages will cease to be licensed at age twelve, with no such vehicle being licensed beyond 31^st December 2029.
7. All existing non emission compliant wheelchair accessible hackney carriages will cease to be licensed at age fourteen, with no such vehicle being licensed beyond 31 December 2029.
8. Any new or replacement hackney carriages being licensed from 1^st December 2021 must be purpose built, wheelchair accessible and emissions compliant.
9. The GM definition of a purpose built hackney carriage to be “A purpose built Hackney Carriage is a vehicle that has been manufactured and sold by the relevant Manufacturer as a Hackney Carriage. A vehicle that has been manufactured and registered, but subsequently converted is not considered to be purpose built. Whilst vehicles converted by an approved company post manufacturing process may be permitted onto the fleet, this does not meet the definition of purpose built” be endorsed. 
10. A policy that all hackney carriage vehicles will be black in colour when next changed and that private hire vehicles may be any colour be implemented.
11. The revised policy on vehicle age limits be approved as follows:

·         Private Hire Vehicles (PHV) – under 5 years on to fleet and 10 years off

·         PHV WAV – under 7 years on to fleet and 15 years off

·         Purpose built HCV WAV – under 7 years on to fleet and 15 years off.

12. A common vehicle livery as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report be agreed.
13. The current vehicle testing policy of testing vehicles once a year until the age of three, two tests a year thereafter until age eight and for vehicles above eight to have three tests a year be retained.
14. The drafting of a mandatory CCTV policy for further consideration and consultation be approved.
15. The Council’s current policy on the licensing of executive hire vehicles be retained.
16. The change to the policy concerning vehicle design and licensing requirements as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report be implemented.
17. The revised private hire and hackney vehicle licence conditions as detailed in Appendix 1 of the report be implemented.
18. The above mentioned decisions will come into effect on the 1^stDecember 2021 unless stated otherwise.