Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Dr. Barton, Byrne and Shelton.

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

There were no declarations of interest made.

The minutes of the meeting held on 13 July 2017 are attached and the Committee will be asked to confirm them as a correct record.

RESOLVED:

that the minutes of the meeting held on 13 July 2017 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 which informs the Committee of the City Mayor’s decision regarding the code of conduct and penalty points scheme for taxi drivers.

The Committee is recommended to note the decision.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submitted a report which informed the Committee of the City Mayor’s decision regarding the code of conduct and Penalty Points Scheme for taxi drivers. The Committee was recommended to note the decision.

The Licensing Team Manager presented the report. It was noted that, following further consultation in December 2016 / January 2017, members of the public still had concerns with driver behaviour and supported the Penalty Points Scheme.

It was reported that on the 6 September 2017, the City Mayor confirmed the Scheme was to be made a permanent arrangement, and that the Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services be given authority to make alterations to the Scheme as necessary, in consultation with the relevant Assistant Mayor, as required by the Council Constitution and any relevant Committee.

Members suggested that officers engage with new and existing taxi drivers to ensure they were educated with regards to the Scheme, so that drivers did not fall foul of the system put in place.

RESOLVED:

That the report be noted.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submits a report which informs the Committee of the City Mayor’s decision regarding the temporary relaxation of the Taxi Age Policy for hackney carriages.

The Committee is recommended to note the decision.

The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services submitted a report which informed the Committee of the City Mayor’s decision regarding the temporary relaxation of the Taxi Age Policy for hackney carriages. The Committee was recommended to note the decisions.

The Licensing Team Manager presented the report. Members were reminded that at the meeting on 13 July 2017 the Committee recommended to the City Mayor that Option C be implemented, as outlined in the report. The temporary relaxation of the Taxi Age Policy was to encourage drivers to replace older vehicles with ULEVs. Members were informed that only one owner had contacted Licensing to take advantage of the extension to date.

In response to Members’ questions, they noted the following responses:

·         In terms of any vehicle, whether second hand or new, before it was licensed to be a taxi it was tested, and then again after six months;

·         If a manufacturer contacted the Council with information on a ULEV, it would be placed as an agenda item for Committee for Members to view before adding to the list of permitted vehicles;

·         When buying a brand new vehicle, by June 2019, it should be just as easy to buy a ULEV as a normal car. It would be up to the operator to ensure they purchased a vehicle in time;

·         The Director of Neighbourhood and Environmental Services had been given the ability to move the end of the moratorium from 30 June 2018 to a later date if there were problems for drivers in purchasing a ULEV, though the final end date was fixed at 31 March 2019.

·         If there was still a problem in March 2019, it would be possible to go to the City Mayor to extend the time period further.

The Chair asked Members to note the report. It was agreed that a further meeting be called if further information on ULEVs became available.

RESOLVED:

1.    That the decision regarding the temporary relaxation of the Taxi Age Policy for hackney carriages be noted;

2.    A further meeting be called if information on ULEVs became available.

There were no other items of urgent business.

The meeting closed at 6.09pm