Agenda and minutes

Venue: Council House

Contact: Democratic Advisor  Email: democraticsupport@plymouth.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

1.

Declarations of Interest

Members will be asked to make any declarations of interest in respect of items on this agenda.

Minutes:

There were no declarations of interest made by Members in accordance with the code of conduct.

2.

Chair's Urgent Business

To receive reports on business which, in the opinion of the Chair, should be brought forward for urgent consideration.

Minutes:

There were no items of Chairs urgent business.

3.

Appeal Cases

The Committee will be provided with the results of the judgement on appeal cases that went to Court.

Minutes:

The Committee agreed to note that there had been no appeal cases since the last meeting.

4.

Number of Certificates of Good Conduct Exemptions Granted

Minutes:

The Committee agreed to note that there had been no certificates of good conduct exemptions granted since the last meeting.

5.

Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licence Fees Report pdf icon PDF 251 KB

Minutes:

The Committee having considered –

 

(a)

the report from the Director of Public Health;

 

(b)

Graham Hooper’s (Senior Officer – Intelligence and Licensing) presentation of the report which highlighted the following key areas –

 

 

·          

Plymouth City Council regulated the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire industry through the licensing framework set out in the Plymouth City Council Act 1975;

 

 

·          

fees for licences should be set at a figure which will recover the full cost of the licensing administration including enforcement, in so far as is consistent with the provisions which allow licence fees to be charged. The Council cannot make a profit from licence fees and any surplus must be carried forward to the following financial year;

 

 

·          

the budgets for licensing were operated as two trading accounts, one for Private Hire and the other for Hackney Carriage; as review of the current fees had been undertaken to balance the two trading accounts and to ensure that there was no cross-subsidy. Where generic expenditure is incurred this was allocated for the financial year 2022 to 2023 on a 32% (Hackney Carriage) and 68% Private Hire basis;

 

 

·          

this is the fifth year of a five-year process to ensure the Hackney Carriage Vehicle accounts are out of deficit and remain out of deficit by the end of the financial year 2023/24. This is on track to being achieved.  The Private Hire Driver, Vehicle and Operator Accounts all remain in a surplus position as do the Hackney Carriage Accounts;

 

 

·          

the fees have not been increased since April 2020. Consideration had been given to whether the fees could be lowered, however it is not recommended to reduce the fees for 2023 to 2024 due to the remaining effects of the covid pandemic and the current economic uncertainty and resultant rise in costs to deliver the Taxi Licensing Service;

 

 

·          

additional savings had been made this year in Taxi accounts through staff posts which remain unfilled and a reduction of legal costs;

 

 

·          

the current licences split in 2021 (as at 31 March 2022) –

 

 

 

o    

Hackney Carriage vehicles 306 (33%);

 

 

o    

Private Hire vehicles 627 (67%);

 

 

o    

Hackney Carriage drivers 314 (32%);

 

 

o    

Private Hire drivers 673 (68%);

 

 

o    

there were currently 39 Private Hire operators.

 

The Committee –

 

(c)

heard from Mr Hamilton, representing the PLTA:

 

 

·          

Mr Hamilton stated that he and his taxi trade colleagues were perfectly happy with the report and were pleased with the proposal for no increase in fees for 2023/24;

 

·          

Discussed the issue of the reduction of Hackney Carriage Drivers (currently 261) and Private hire drivers (currently 610) by 17% and 19% respectively since 31 March 2022 and efforts to increase those numbers. However, the loss of drivers is understood to be a nationwide problem.

 

It was also noted that although some drivers retain a licence, not all of them drive as a full-time job so it is difficult to ascertain the true numbers of licenced drivers operating.

 

It was acknowledged by the Licensing Department that any increase in the numbers of  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

6.

Exempt Information

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972 to exclude the press and the public from the meeting for the following items of business, on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Minutes:

The Committee agreed to pass a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act, 1972 to exclude the press and the public from the meeting for the following items of business, on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information, as defined in paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

7.

Review Status of a Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence

Minutes:

The Committee having:

 

(a)

considered the report from the Director for Public Health;

 

(b)

heard from the driver;

 

(c)

taken the following into account: the law, policy and factual information contained in the report.

 

The Committee agreed to suspend the driver’s licence for a total of four days (two days were awarded in respect of committed motoring offences and a further two  days in respect of the driver’s failure to notify the Licensing Department in the correct manner and within the required time.)

 

 

(Please note, there is a confidential part to this minute)

 

8.

Review Status of a Restricted Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence

Minutes:

The Committee having:

 

(a)

considered the report from the Director for Public Health;

 

(b)

heard from the driver;

 

(c)

taken the following into account: the law, policy and factual information contained in the report.

 

The Committee agreed to revoke the driver’s licence as the driver was not considered a fit and proper person to hold a Restricted Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence.

 

(Please note, there is a confidential part to this minute)