Agenda item

The purpose of this report is to consider recommended amendments to the current BCP Council Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Policy 2021, relating to the age of new or replacement vehicles at first licence and the maximum age of licensed vehicles.

The BCP Taxi and Private Hire Trade association who represent the licenced trade have requested amendments in order to support current licence holders who are experiencing difficulties in sourcing and purchasing suitable vehicles which meet the current Policy requirements.

At the Licensing Committee on 9 March 2023, it was recommended that officers meet with the trade representatives and discuss the issue in more depth. This discussion took place on 27 April. Following this, it was agreed to recommend amendments to the policy to support the purchase of new vehicles, as there are approximately 300 which need to be changed by the end of the year, in order to comply with Euro 6 emission standards.

The recommendation within the report is also to remove the age restriction on wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) in order to encourage the purchase and licence of such vehicles to support passengers in wheelchairs. We currently have 60 (WAVs).

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 'A' to these Minutes in the Minute Book.

The Committee was asked to consider some recommended amendments to the current BCP Council Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Policy 2021, relating to the age of new or replacement vehicles at first licence and the maximum age of licensed vehicles. The BCP Taxi and Private Hire Trade Association had requested these amendments to support current licence holders who were experiencing difficulties in meeting current policy requirements, some of whom may decide to work in neighbouring licensing authority areas where requirements were less restrictive. This matter had been considered at the Licensing Committee on 9 March 2023, following which officers met with trade representatives and discussed the issues in more depth.

The following amendments to the Policy were proposed:

• To amend paragraph 7.5 to read “All vehicles must be no more than 5 years of age from first registration with less than 60,000 miles and meet Euro 6 emission standard or higher”.
• To amend paragraph 7.6 to read “All WAVs must have no more than 100,000 miles on the clock and must meet euro 6 emission standard or higher (or other equivalent standard)”
• To delete paragraph 11.1 which states “From the date of this policy no licence will be issued for the renewal for any vehicle aged 15 years or older from the date for first registration” as no longer needed

These amendments would ensure the safety of licensed vehicles and increase the number of WAVs available, which currently stood at 60 vehicles. The Committee noted that there were approximately 300 vehicles (around 30%) which needed to be changed to the minimum Euro 6 standard by the end of the year. The Equality Impact Needs Assessment Panel had deemed the amendments as having a positive impact. The Head of Safer Communities and Licensing Officers clarified the following points in response to questions:

• The average mileage lifespan of a vehicle varied and depended in part on how well it had been looked after
• Vehicles were subject to strict checks twice a year at six month intervals, once by a standard MOT and once by an enhanced MOT at the BCP Depot which included a check of the interior.
• Larger operators with offices in neighbouring licensing authority areas could pass bookings on, however hackney carriage vehicles licensed elsewhere could not rank inside the BCP area.
• It was not possible to retrofit a pre-Euro 6 diesel car and the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS) was intended for larger, more commercial vehicles.

Committee members agreed that the proposed amendments set a high bar in terms of protecting the environment and ensuring passenger safety while striking the right balance with members of the licensed trade. It was noted that the amendments did not constitute a significant change to the policy, the proposals would have a positive impact for the travelling public and a positive financial impact on the trade, with no procedural impact or adverse impact on the community.

RESOLVED that the amendments as set out above and in paragraphs 20 to 22 of the report be agreed as recommended.

Voting: Unanimous