Cabinet to discuss out-of-area taxi policy

Work to protect the public by ensuring that hackney carriage taxis are operating in line with recent case law will be discussed by Shropshire Council’s Cabinet next week. 

Councillors will be asked to consider responses to a consultation, and the draft policy these have helped to shape, on out-of-area hackney carriage applications. 

This comes after a significant increase in demand for taxi licences in Shropshire, with the majority of hackney carriage applicants based outside of Shropshire.

The draft policy sets out a clear position and procedure under which decisions will be made on hackney carriage applications where the intention is not to work mostly within the Shropshire Council area. 

The council has a duty to ensure that it licenses drivers in line with High Court guidance, which includes the requirement that hackney carriages mostly operate in the council area, in the interests of public safety.  If drivers from outside the county are not operating as agreed, this undermines these safeguards and means they cannot be effectively monitored to ensure the vehicles are safe. 

An enforcement campaign is being carried out to ensure that, where licences are granted, the drivers are working mostly within the relevant Shropshire zone.  The enforcement work includes checking records to confirm where the vehicles are working, out of hours monitoring exercises which can ultimately lead to licences being revoked if necessary, and sharing information with other councils. 

Cabinet will be asked to agree the draft ‘Intended Use Policy for the Licensing of Hackney Carriages’ policy at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday 8 February 2012. Councillor Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member with responsibility for licensing, said:

“We have consulted with the hackney carriage trade, neighbouring councils and the police on this draft policy. 

“It is important for public safety that we thoroughly process and issue licences, which includes consideration of the licensing of out-of-area hackney carriage taxis.

“At the same time we are carrying out work to enforce licensing conditions and have reviewed the driver’s knowledge test to require a more thorough knowledge of the area in which drivers operate, to help ensure that passengers get a fair deal and reach their destination safely.”

Hackney carriage vehicles do not have to be pre-booked and can be hailed on the street. Private hire vehicles must be pre-booked, and customers should be quoted the exact fare when the booking is made.