Issue - meetings

The report of the Director – Neighbourhoods is attached.

The Assistant Director Public Protection introduced the report and members of the Licensing Team.  He advised that if the Policy was endorsed this evening, it would be submitted for final approval to Full Council on 27 November and implemented the day after.

The Principal Officer – Community Safety and Licensing gave a presentation covering the proposed major changes, which were detailed in the report. The presentation covered:

·              Policy Overview

·              Implementation Timeline

·              Current Numbers

·              Driver Changes

·              Vehicle Licensing Changes

·              Hackney Carriage Updates

·              Operator Licensing

·              Enforcement and Points System

·              Appendix Highlights

·              Consultation Feedback and Final Amendments from Consultants

·              Summary and Next Steps

Councillor R Mallender asked about the removal of the requirement for first aid equipment and the Senior Licensing and Enforcement Officer stated that the Department for Transport (DFT) advised that both first aid kits and fire extinguishers should not be carried, and in case of emergencies, the appropriate emergency service should be contacted.

Councillor Mallender sought clarification regarding CCTV provision, and the Senior Licensing and Enforcement Officer advised that no authority in Nottinghamshire or the DOT specified the need for mandatory CCTV.

Councillor Butler questioned if it was more self-regulatory, to safeguard both operators and drivers, as well as passengers, and that perhaps CCTV was already installed in many vehicles. The Senior Licensing and Enforcement Officer stated that it was up to drivers to assess any safety risks and install CCTV if they wanted to.

Councillor Chewings questioned if CCTV provision was mandatory anywhere in the country and asked who and why this issue had been raised during the consultation. The Assistant Director Public Protection confirmed that during the consultation, a letter had been received from the County Council, requesting a county-wide agreement for mandatory CCTV.  For the purposes of endorsing this Policy tonight, mandatory CCTV provision was not being considered, as the Policy had to be renewed before the end of December. It could be reviewed going forward; however, he reminded the Committee that CCTV was not required by the DOT, it would involve significant costs for drivers and operators and place an additional legislative burden on the Council.

Councillor Soloman expressed amazement that mandatory CCTV could not be considered because the letter was submitted after the consultation had started, and she felt that this should not preclude mandatory CCTV forming part of this Policy. The Policy should protect drivers and passengers and she felt that CCTV was a useful tool to ensure that and whilst noting that some drivers had installed it, Councillor Soloman was concerned that other drivers had not done so. She suggested that passengers would feel more comfortable having CCTV, and that girls in particular actively avoided using taxis without it. In relation to cost, Councillor Soloman suggested that if CCTV was to become mandatory, the Council could give a 100% discount on a licence to help drivers.

The Principal Officer – Community Safety and Licensing advised that Bolsover, North-East Derbyshire and Rotherham had mandatory CCTV provision, and he highlighted potential costs to the Committee,  ...  view the full minutes text for item 3