Agenda item

The Committee gave consideration to a report of the Trading Standards and Licensing Manager which asked Members to discuss amendments to the Council’s Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy following of a request to pause and review certain elements of implementation.

It was noted that at the meeting held on the 30^th November 2021, Members made several policy changes to the Councils Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy in line with the work carried out and recommendations brought forward from the Greater Manchester Minimum Licensing Standards programme.

The ten vehicle standards that were considered as part of the programme at the above meeting were:

·         Wheelchair accessible purpose built hackney carriages

·         Vehicle ages

·         Vehicle emissions

·         Vehicle colour

·         Vehicle livery

·         Vehicle testing

·         CCTV

·         Executive Hire

·         Vehicle design and licensing requirements

·         Vehicle licence conditions

Members were informed that since that meeting, Officers had received further representations from trade representatives about the availability and costs associated with purchasing new or replacement vehicles. In addition, the GM clean air zone implementation planned for May 2022 had been paused to enable further plans to be tabled with Government by July 2022. As a result of the representations the Chief Executive, following a recommendation by the Leader and Chair of the Licensing Committee authorised a pause to the implementation of the vehicle standards pending further discussion at the next licensing committee.

Members were asked to agree the following policy decisions proposed by Officers:

·         Wheelchair accessible purpose built hackney carriages (WAV) - A mixed fleet of hackneys including adapted vehicles may continue to be licensed until 31.12.2029. Any change of vehicle must be to a vehicle that is emissions compliant. Thereafter vehicles must be all purpose built WAV’s. Existing WAV’s that have a condition on their licence that they must be wheelchair accessible must continue to comply with this condition.

·         Vehicle Age - New licence holders will comply with the GM standard of saloon vehicles being under 5 years of age and licensed until 10. Existing licensed vehicles may stay licensed until age 12 (14 for purpose built hackneys) In relation to the next vehicle change, the replacement of an existing licensed vehicle be extended so a vehicle maybe licensed up until 7 years of age and until 10 (15 for WAVs) The above are subject to any emissions transitional requirements which at present state that a non-emission compliant vehicle cannot be licensed beyond 31.12.2025.

·         Vehicles Emissions - All new to licence vehicles must be emission compliant to Euro 6 diesel, Euro 4 petrol or zero emission capable. Existing non-emission compliant vehicles have until 31.12.2025 to become compliant (within the age limits outlined above which may result in them ceasing being licensed earlier).

·         Vehicle Colour - Hackney saloon vehicles must be white and WAVs either white or manufacturers colour. Private hire vehicles may be any colour.

·         Vehicle Livery - Adopt the GM standard when introduced.

·         Vehicle testing - Already in place – no changes needed

·         CCTV - Await a further GM report on draft policy

·         Executive Hire - Already in place – no changes needed

·         Vehicle design and licensing requirements - The GM Licensing Managers are reviewing this policy area and a further report will be brought before Members in the future. There is no guarantee to the trade of what future policy may be but in the interim the following is sought for approval: Category A and B vehicles will not be licensed Category C/S vehicles – will consider licensing if it has successfully passed an ‘autolign’ inspection and the report and certificate can be produced. Category N/D vehicles – will consider licensing subject to the review of an automotive engineers report.

·         Vehicle licence conditions - Retain the GM new standard conditions.

Members were also asked to approve the policy amendment that would allow current drivers, when the vehicle licence expired, 21 days in which to renew it under the same policy criteria. After that period, any vehicle application would have to meet the criteria that would apply to a new vehicle licence as per policy.

It was noted that Due to the current pause on funding to support the clean air plan that was under review, it was felt necessary and fair to those vehicle owners whose vehicles were coming to their end of licensing life through policy limits, to allow those vehicles to continue to be licensed until the funding situation was confirmed. The initial request was that this be allowed util the end of September 2022 but with the caveat that Officers may extend again if the situation remains unresolved by that time.

RESOLVED that the recommendations and policy changes be agreed.