Agenda item

The Committee received a report which proposed changes to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licence Policy, in particular regarding enhancements being made to the suitability test for licensed drivers and operators, which would require all drivers and operators to undertake safeguarding awareness training.

Since October 2015, Doncaster taxi drivers had been offered, on a voluntary basis, safeguarding training, which had been arranged by the Council’s Business Safety and Licensing Team in a joint effort to protect the safety of the travelling public.

In presenting the report, the Business Safety and Licensing Manager was pleased to report that since the training had been offered, 75% of taxi drivers had attended the training on a voluntarily basis; which had equated to over 650 people, of which 624 were currently licensed taxi drivers. The training was recognised nationally and it was hoped that this would help to eliminate any safeguarding issues, not only amongst the young, but the elderly and vulnerable people. 

Whilst the uptake was encouraging, it was reported that approximately 220-230 drivers had not yet engaged in the process for various reasons, which included those that had no intention of participating; others had difficulty attending during the day because they were working and others had not done so due to the time of day of when the training was offered.  Therefore, it was proposed to make training a mandatory requirement for all drivers, including new, existing and taxi operators.  Members were informed that to date, 16 training sessions had been provided at various times of the day and that 2 more training days, (8 sessions) were planned for July and August, including evening sessions, which would be offered to those drivers who had not attended.

New applicants and existing licence holders would be required to provide evidence of having undertaken safeguarding awareness training, delivered by an approved provider, before being considered ‘fit’ and ‘proper’. In relation to new drivers, it was intended that their licence would be held in abeyance until they had completed the training, which would be an incentive for them to take part in the training. 

Members were informed that the Council was to consult those affected for a period of 4 weeks of its intention to amend the Policy tomake the training a mandatory requirement of all licensed drivers and operators, and expand the definition of ‘fit and proper’.  The training would be made available on a regular basis and would provide the opportunity for new drivers to take advantage of the training before they applied for a licence.  Following the outcome of the consultation process, a report would be brought to the Committee with final recommendations.

Members welcomed the proposed changes to the Policy and were supportive of the measures being put in place to ensure that standards in Doncaster remained high.

In response to a point of clarity from Members regarding drivers being considered ‘fit’ and ‘proper’, the Business Safety and Licensing Manager advised that consultation would be undertaken on the basis that existing drivers would have until March, 2017, to undertake the safeguarding awareness training and after that time, the Council would be looking at taking some form of action to suspend their licence until they had undertaken the training.  Members were supportive of this course of action. 

A Member queried a typographical error in the Appendix to the report. The Licensing and Business Safety Manager noted the discrepancy and confirmed that the Appendix to the report should be referred to as Appendix ‘1’ and not as Appendix ‘A’ as marked in the agenda papers.  The Business and Licensing Manager undertook to amend the Appendix to the report (page 47 of the agenda papers), accordingly, in addition to any other references in the report.

At the conclusion of debate, the Business and Licensing Manager took the opportunity to introduce to Members David Smith who had been appointed to the role of Licensing Officer following the retirement of Paul Wilson.

RESOLVED that

(1)        the Committee authorises the Assistant Director - Environment, to go out to consultation, with licensed drivers, private hire operators and interested parties e.g. safeguarding organisations, on the on the basis of the proposals set out in Appendix 1;

(2)        the Business Safety and Licensing Manager be tasked to report back to the Committee with the outcome of that consultation, and make final recommendations to the Committee; and

(3)        the appendix to the report in respect of agenda item 8 (page 47 of the agenda papers), be amended to read as ‘Appendix 1’ and not as Appendix ‘A’, as shown.