Issue - meetings

Currently there is a restriction on the number of hackney carriage vehicle licences issued within the Bournemouth and Poole hackney carriage zones. There is no restriction on the number of hackney carriage licences issued in the Christchurch hackney carriage zone.

The current BCP Council Taxi and Hackney Carriage Vehicle Policy 2021 specifies that any new hackney carriage vehicle licence will only be issued to a suitable wheelchair accessible vehicle.

In order to maintain a restriction on the quantity of hackney carriage vehicle licences issued the local authority must be able to demonstrate that there is no unmet need which would require additional licences to be issued. Current good practice requires local authorities to undertake an unmet needs survey every three years.

The Head of Safer Communities presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'B' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The Committee was asked to consider whether to retain the current number of licenced hackney carriage vehicles as stated within the BCP Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Policy. The Council was required to carry out an unmet needs survey every three years to show there was no unmet need and thereby maintain its current restriction on the number of licences issued. The Policy allowed for up to 15 additional licences for WAVs only, to be issued each year in the respective Bournemouth and Poole zones (Christchurch having no restriction) up until 2025 when the Policy would be reviewed. As the most recent survey undertaken in 2023 demonstrated that there was no unmet needs, it was recommended to make no change to the Policy at this moment in time.

The Head of Safer Communities and Licensing Officers clarified the following points in response to questions:

• If there were no existing restrictions an unmet needs survey was not required to be done.
• The survey was carried out independently by one company using a standard methodology for all licensing authorities.
• Appendix 1 of the report provided further detail of the location of ranks surveyed, this took place in July, to account for any seasonal increase in demand, and October.
• Only three out of the additional licences available in Bournemouth and Poole had been issued, which was disappointing. It was hoped that the amendments to the policy agreed as a result of the preceding agenda item would encourage more take up in respect of WAVs.
• There was nothing to prevent the holder of a private hire vehicle licence from changing from a WAV to a saloon car.
• Unwanted plates were either returned to the licensing authority for reissue or transferred.

Committee members agreed that on the evidence presented there were no unmet needs in terms of licensed hackney carriage vehicles. Bearing in mind the current vehicle/driver ratio and some of the comments made in the survey it was acknowledged that there may be a need for more drivers and for their value to be recognised.

RESOLVED that the current number of licenced hackney carriage vehicles as stated within the BCP Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Policy be retained as there are no unmet needs identified in the unmet needs survey.

Voting: Unanimous