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

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

To confirm the minutes of the meeting held on 3 February 2011.

Agreed that the minutes of the meeting held on 3 February 2011 are confirmed as a correct record.

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

There were no items of Chair’s urgent business.

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

The Committee was informed that there was a successful court appeal against the revocation of a Hackney Carriage driver’s licence at a previous Committee hearing.

The Director for Community Services will submit a report on a licensed driver review of licence status.

The committee having –

However, Members were concerned that –

Agreed that the decision of the Committee today is therefore that Mr Tanase’s conviction and fixed penalty notices all relate to motoring offences committed since the commencement of his employment as a private hire driver.

The offences give rise to concerns regarding his attention to the road and his attitude to public safety. In addition, not reporting the penalty notices and conviction indicates a disregard for the conditions of his private hire driver’s licence.

Members consider it a reasonable and proportionate decision to apply their powers under s19 (1) (b) of the Plymouth City Council Act 1975 and suspend Mr Tanase’s licence for five days in respect of the non-reporting of his offences and to give him a warning in respect of the offences themselves. This warning will be placed on Mr Tanase’s file and will be brought to the attention of the committee should he be brought before them for any reasons in the future.

To consider passing a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following item(s) of business on the grounds that it (they) involve(s) the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph(s) 3 and 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Agreed that under Section 100(A)(2) and (4) of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public are excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of confidential/exempt information as defined in paragraph 3 and 7 of Part 1 Schedule 12A of the (Local Government Access to Information) Act 1985, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

To confirm the confidential minutes of the meeting held on 3 February 2011.

Agreed that the confidential minutes of the meeting held on 3 February 2011 are confirmed as a correct record.

The Director for Community Services will submit a report on a licensed driver review of licence status.

Agreed that as the report has now been produced this item has now been withdrawn.

The Director for Community Services will submit a report on a licensed driver review of licence status.

Agreed that as the report has now been produced this item has now been withdrawn.

The Director for Community Services will submit a report on a licensed hackney carriage driver review of licence status.

The committee having –

Agreed to adjourn the hearing until the next available committee date on the basis that PMI’s right to a fair hearing was impaired by his problems in obtaining legal or other representation given the fact that he had only received notification of his attendance two days before the hearing.

The Director for Community Services will submit a report on a licensed hackney carriage driver review of licence status.

The Committee having –

Agreed that a letter be sent to DG by recorded delivery inviting him to attend the next available hearing and warning him that if he elected not to attend at that hearing all possible sanctions against his licence will be considered in his absence.

The Director for Community Services will submit a report on a licensed vehicle review of vehicle licence.

The committee having –

However, Members were concerned that:-

Agreed that the decision of the Committee today is therefore thatthe Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing policy sets out guidelines for the issuing of vehicle licences in order to protect public safety.

To depart from those policy guidelines and allow a goods vehicle with an insufficient number of doors to protect passengers to continue to transport passengers would be to depart from the council’s own licensing objectives, the most important of which is the safety and health of drivers and the public.

Members have decided to follow their own policy and revoke Mr Wheeler’s private hire vehicle licence in accordance with their powers under s18 (1) of the Plymouth City Council Act 1975.