Issue - meetings

At the Licensing Committee meeting on 9 March 2023 members asked for an update on the audit of all taxi ranks in BCP area which had been completed by the Licensing Team and Taxi Trade jointly.

The members requested the following:-

·       To review the progress of Highways in programming the necessary works summarised in the report of 9 March 2023

·       To receive a response from the Director of Infrastructure to provide the proposed schedule of works.

·       To receive a response from the Director of Infrastructure on the number of Penalty Charge Notices issued over the last 12 months as a result of parking of non licensed vehicles on taxi ranks.

The Licensing Manager presented a report, a copy of which had been circulated to each Member and a copy of which appears as Appendix 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book. The report provided responses, where available, to information previously requested by the Committee in March 2023 following an audit of all BCP taxi ranks. It was noted that the provision and maintenance of ranks was a matter for the Council’s highways team and was not a licensing function.

The Committee was advised that the Traffic Team were visiting all the ranks identified and placing orders for maintenance where required. Although there was no specific schedule of works available, the traffic technician had now visited the Bournemouth zone ranks and scheduled the necessary works/maintenance. They were now in the process of visiting first Poole and then Christchurch ranks for the same purpose during the coming weeks. It was noted that the Traffic Team Leader had attended a taxi association meeting earlier in 2023 and would be happy to do so again in early 2024 to report on progress and discuss any issues.

The Committee had also asked for the number of Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) issued over the last year to people parking non-licensed vehicles on ranks. Parking services reported that for the year 31 October 2022 to 31 October 2023 there were 939 PCNs issued across all taxi bays/ranks within the BCP area. Members were assured by this level of enforcement and asked whether the money raised from these fines was ringfenced to invest in the taxi ranks, as this would send a positive message to the trade. It was agreed to contact the highways team to request this information and circulate it to members by email.