Agenda item

Greater Manchester Minimum Licensing Standards for Taxi and Private Hire Stage 1

To consider a report of the Executive Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services recommended by the Executive on 27 September 2021.

Minutes:

The Executive Member for Environmental and Regulatory Services submitted a report setting out the proposed Greater Manchester Minimum Licensing Standards for Taxi and Private Hire which had been referred from the Executive meeting on 27 September 2021. The report represented Stage One of the Standards which relate to Drivers, Operators and Local Authorities and set out the responses to the recent public and trade consultation for Stage One and outlined the proposed standards, policies and procedures. Stage Two related to Vehicles and it was anticipated that those proposals would be reported to the Executive in October 2021.

 

Councillor Miss Blackburn referred to Standard 6 Driver Training (page 33 of the report) and Councillor Adshead indicated that he would reply directly regarding the frequency of the training and what would happen should a driver refuse the training and whether the relevant authority would be notified of refusal by a driver from outside the area.

 

        RESOLVED:

 

(1)    That Enhanced Criminal Record checks be undertaken as per Driver Standard 1 in table A of the report.

 

(2)    That Medical Checks be undertaken as per Driver Standard 2 in table A of the report.

 

(3)    That assessments of English proficiency be undertaken as per Driver Standard 4 in table A of the report.

 

(4)    That driver proficiency tests be implemented as per Driver Standard 5 in table A of the report.

 

(5)    That driver training is undertaken as per Driver Standard 6 in table A of the report.

 

(6)    That the Licensed Drivers Dress Code, set out at Appendix 1 to the report, be approved.

 

(7)    That the Private Hire Driver Conditions Policy, set out at Appendix 2 to the report, be approved.

 

(8)    That the Private Hire Operator Conditions Policy, set out at Appendix 3 to the report be approved and that Council notes the proposed amendments to Operator Conditions set out at Appendix 4.

 

(9)    That Enhanced Criminal Record checks for Operators and their staff be undertaken as per Operator Standard 2 in table B of the report.

 

(10)  That the timescales for applications be adopted, as per Local Authority Standard 1 in Table C of the report.

(11)  That the development of a common enforcement approach be approved, as per Local Authority Standard 2 in Table C of the report.

 

(12) That a common methodology for setting the costs and calculating the taxi and private hire fees be adopted, as per Local Authority Standard 3 in Table C of the report.

 

(13)  That the Council delegates decision making powers, as per Local Authority Standard 5 in Table C of the report.

 

(14)  That the implementation dates for standards, policies and procedures contained within the report, be delegated to the Corporate Director of Place, in consultation with the Executive Member for Environment and Regulatory Services, with consideration of the need to communicate changes to the trade and ensure that processes are in place to ensure the robust implementation of the standards.

 

 

 

Supporting documents: