Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received form Councillors Hunter, Shelton and Unsworth.

Members are asked to declare any interests they may have in the business on the agenda.

Members were asked to declare any interests they might have in the business on the agenda.  No such declarations were made.

The minutes of the meeting held on 22 September 2016 are attached circulated and the Committee will be asked to confirm them as a correct record.

The minutes can be found on the Council’s website at the following link:-

http://www.cabinet.leicester.gov.uk:8071/ieListMeetings.aspx?CId=784&Year=0

RESOLVED:

that the minutes of the meeting held on 22 September 2016 be approved as a correct record.

The Monitoring Officer to report on the receipt of any petitions submitted in accordance with the Council’s procedures.

The Monitoring Officer reported that no petitions had been submitted in accordance with the Council’s procedures.

The Monitoring Officer to report on the receipt of any questions, representations and statements of case submitted in accordance with the Council’s procedures.

The Monitoring Officer reported that no questions, representations and statements of case had been submitted in accordance with the Council’s procedures.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submits a report on several changes in the process for licensing hackney carriage and private hire vehicle driver licences.

The Committee is asked to note the report.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submitted a report on several changes in the process for licensing hackney carriage and private hire vehicle driver licences.

These changes involved:-

Practical Driving Test

The Driving Standards and Vehicle Agency (DVSA) had informed the Council in August that they were withdrawing the practical driving assessment with effect from 31 December 2016.  This has affected most other licensing authorities as well.  It was noted that a replacement provider accredited by the DVSA was being procured and it was hoped this would be in place by the end of December.  New applicants could not currently book tests until the new provider was in place; but the DVSA had been fully booked until the end of December so it was not envisaged that this would be too problematic.

Local Knowledge Test

The current paper based test was being replaced by a computer based test.  This would reduce the current back log of testing as it would be possible to conduct more tests simultaneously in the future compared to the current 4 tests with the paper system.  The computer tests would generate random questions from each category with multiple choice answers.  Should any questions appear in subsequent tests, the multiple choice options would not be in the same order.  Applicants will be required to present their driving licence to take the test for proof of identity and would require their driving licence number to log into the computer test system; which would have already been pre-programmed with the applicants’ driving licence numbers that were expected to take the test on that particular day.

Online Application Process   

An on-line application process had been developed which would speed up the process for new applications and payments, sending automated response at each stage and applicants would also receive the link to the DBS Application process and they would have two weeks within which to submit their on-line DBS application.

CSE Awareness course.

1,164 drivers had completed the course since its introduction in November 2015.  Approximately 800 drivers were still to attend.  The training had received positive responses from drivers attending and their subsequent feedback.   The contact for the provider for the training expired in October and the same provider had been successful in the re-procurement exercise to commence a new contract in November 2016.   It was envisaged that all existing drivers would receive the training by Mach/April 2017.  A small number of drivers had been suspended for not attending the course and had been given an alternative date to attend a course during the appeal period.    Once all existing drivers have been trained the frequency of courses will reduce, because it will only be needed for the new drivers.

AGREED:

That the report be noted.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submits a report on changes to the guidance on convictions for hackney carriage and private hire drivers.

The Committee is asked to note the report.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submitted a report on changes to the guidance on convictions for hackney carriage and private hire drivers.

The review had taken into account comments made at a recent appeal in Court where some aspects of the guidance were questioned as being inconsistent.  Following the review the following changes had been made to the guidance:-

·                     Illegal plying for hire will be listed as a specific offence;

·                     Dangerous driving will be in a more serious category, on a par with drink driving;

·                     Having no insurance was mentioned by the court, but officers are of the opinion that it was in the correct category and no change was proposed;

·                     Refusal to transport a passenger with a guide dog (section 170 of the Equalities Act 2010) will be listed as a specific offence;

Members welcomed the review and the proposed changes.

AGREED:

            That the report be noted.

The Chair declared the meeting closed at 6.25 pm