Agenda item

The Environmental Health Manager presented the report of the Executive Manager – Neighbourhoods, requesting the Committee to consider the Council’s reviewed and updated Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2020-2025.  The Committee was reminded that the Policy had been updated in November 2019, and subsequently approved by Council.  It had been hoped that no further amendments would be required until the Policy’s review in 2025; however, the Department of Transport had recently issued new statutory guidance, which was considered to be significant enough that the Policy required revision.  The Committee was asked to approve the policy changes, to allow a one-month consultation to take place, prior to the Policy being submitted to Council for adoption on 3 December 2020.

The Senior Licensing Officer highlighted the key changes to the Policy, which included:

·         New provisions relating to whistleblowing enabling Licensing officers to be confidentially informed of a safeguarding issue;

·         Inclusion of information relating to the use of Common Law Police Disclosure to obtain details on an applicant if they had been arrested, bailed, not charged or suspected of being involved in an offence (previously the Notifiable Occupation Scheme);

·         A new provision for the inclusion of the “Harm Test” to identify whether an applicant had currently or previously been involved in violence where harm had been caused to a child or vulnerable adult;

·         Amendments to the existing requirements for all drivers to undertake a knowledge test orally/reading or other to show they could communicate with the passenger;

·         Amendments to safeguarding requirements to ensure that all drivers undertook Safeguarding Vulnerable Passengers training, which could be carried out by the Council or by an approved contractor.  The Council used a charity called the Blue Lamp Trust, which provided this course at no charge to the authority.  Safeguarding refresher training was being delivered across Nottinghamshire.  This training would be mandatory for all renewing drivers including disability awareness and training for the Hackney drivers on loading wheelchairs;

·         A new provision relating to a new code of conduct when working with vulnerable passengers;

·         Broadening the types of vehicles that could be licensed to include stretch limousines and other adapted vehicles;

·         Amendments to the requirements in respect of “fit and proper” persons;

·         A new provision relating to staff working on bookings and dispatch who would now be required to be Disclosure and Barring Services (DBS) checked if they came into contact with the public or over the phone.  This was intended to reduce the risk of grooming of vulnerable persons or the sharing of sensitive information to criminals.  There was also new requirements for operators to keep records of bookings;

·         A new provision requiring operators to have a policy on the employment for Ex-Offenders specifically for the type of work to be undertaken; and

·         The Department of Transport was requesting Councils to consider mandating the fitting of CCTV within all licensed vehicles.  Currently there are only two English Councils who had mandated a CCTV system.  It was intended that this proposal be included in the consultation following Committee approval and, if after that it was considered to be feasible, it would be brought before the Committee again next year.