Agenda item

The Licensing Administration Team Manager presented the report on the Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy for 2025-30.

Cllr Brown commended the thorough piece of work undertaken including liaising with other authorities.

Members raised questions and the officer advised as follows.

The Deputy Leader enquired about door livery and types of vehicles.

– Private hire trade was mostly relating to app-based operators providing instant confirmation with the type of vehicle and registration number to be expected. Hackney carriage on the other hand needed to be easily recognizable, i.e. black vehicles with a white stripe at the top and waiting in a rank in a certain location.

Cllr G Williams asked for clarification about the proposal.

– There would still be a requirement for private hire vehicles to display a rectangular front plate along with a square one at the back.

Cllr G Williams expressed concerns about partially sighted people.

– Whether a door livery should be displayed or not was to be considered by members and for consultation.

Cllr J Williams enquired about whether Uber had to put any sign up.

– This was a private hire operator and would need to comply with the requirements set by each specific local authority. Currently in Newcastle-under-Lyme they would need to have a sign on both doors displaying their name and a green sign on their back passenger doors issued by the Council and saying they were a private vehicle that needed to be pre-booked along with plates at the front and the back. In Stoke-on-Trent it would be very similar, however things would be different in Wolverhampton where no signage was required except for the front and rear plates.

Cllr J Williams asked why providers would go to Wolverhampton to apply for a license.

– The law changed in 2015 allowing private hire bookings to be subcontracted from an operator in an area to a different operator in another area to allow for flexibility and a freer market. What happened was that operators got multiple licenses from multiple authorities and then subcontracted the work in between their different operators and drivers. While some local authorities had additional rules for private operators that wasn’t the case in Wolverhampton which made it easier to get licenses there along with lower costs for renewing licenses.

Cllr J Williams wished for the policy to highlight that the providers would be lose their license in the event they fail to report an accident.

– There was a national data base keeping records of licenses that had been revoked or suspended in relation to road safety and public safety. In practice only a small proportion of drivers failed to report previous convictions or suspension of licenses when brought to committee. Every license holder would get a copy of the conditions along with a code of conduct which they were expected to read. A newsletter had also been sent in the past to inform them of policy changes and remind them of their obligations. Similar communications would be issued going forward.

Cllr Heesom asked if there was a limitation in time for operators to declare a change of address.

– This should be done within seven days.

Resolved:    1. That the proposed policy document be reviewed; and

2. That the policy document be sent out for a 12 week consultation with the trade and relevant stakeholders before coming back to Committee for a final decision, be approved.

Watch the debate here