Issues relating to the licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles

Written evidence from Brighton & Hove Streamline (TPH 25)

1. The operators and the licensed Hackney Carriage and private hire drivers in the City of Brighton & Hove are proud of the reputation gained over a number of years as to the high professional standards provided to members of the public in the area licensed by Brighton & Hove City Council.

2. By working with the trade with regular forums and good communications, the elected Councillors of Brighton & Hove have ensured the local taxi and private hire fleet of vehicles being in excess of 1,000 have been maintained to a very high level of standards; an equally high level of standards set for the drivers; excellent knowledge-based schools; and an increasing majority of those drivers having achieved BTEC qualifications; as well as having provided evidence of medical fitness to drive members of the public. The foregoing is in addition to the standard CRB and DSA checks.

3. In the absence of licensing within the limits of the licensing areas, all such controls would be at risk as would be passenger safety. There could be no guarantee of the drivers having the requisite knowledge, honesty or trustworthiness or indeed just the essential or even local knowledge that has been expected of taxi and private hire drivers throughout the country.

4. Restrictions upon the area in which a driver is licensed does not preclude that driver from taking passengers out of the area to the adjacent environs and/or ports, airports et cetera. However, having done so, the driver and vehicle must return to their licensed area before again plying/picking up new passengers.

5. It is of course common for Licensed Taxi and Private Hire drivers from areas licensed from outside Brighton & Hove to have passengers wanting to come to the City. However it is evident that such vehicles and their passengers often have difficulty in finding anything but the well known hotels and land marks. For this to be replicated countrywide could result in passengers finding difficulty in reaching their destination or certainly by the most economic route let alone the issues already referred as to the quality of vehicles; drivers knowledge; and especially the safety of passengers.

6. Working in conjunction with the elected Councillors of Brighton & Hove, standards have been raised over the years and maintained including where appropriate the entire support of the Hackney Carriage Officer(s) in any enforcement of those licensing provisions or indeed in dialogue with the officer, representatives of the City Council and again its elected Councillors with regard to the regular review and if need be enhancement of Licensing conditions, most recently in relation to the provision of rear access wheelchair accessible vehicles. If Licensing was removed from the locality and from the elected Councillors for the City, any such existing benefits would undoubtedly be dissipated if not extinguished altogether again to the detriment of the fare paying passenger. Retaining locally elected control of licensing retains accountability and local decision making policy(ies).

7. If reform is desired it is respectfully submitted this should be by way of bringing up to date and embodying in one statute the provisions which could apply nationally to taxi’s (Hackney Carriages) and Private Hire vehicles retaining the licensing of both taxi’s and Private Hire Vehicles within the local (licensing) authorities. Enhanced CRB checks from wherever the driver may originate would be beneficial as would a minimum language test alongside the continued development of BTEC qualifications ,knowledge tests and medical assessments. However most recently the Equality Act 2010 sought to introduce wheelchair accessible vehicles and has found this is diametrically contrary to the wishes of the overwhelming majority of the taxi using public (whether disabled or not) who prefer saloon car vehicles.

8. The drivers and operators of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensed vehicles in Brighton & Hove are proud of the service provided to the public and would submit further that the public, in each licensed area (Local Authority) are best served by the maintenance and where appropriate enhanced standards. However the withdrawal of the current licensing system or its unification nationwide is not the solution or indeed any solution.

December 2010