Agenda and minutes

To record the attendance of Substitute Members, if any, who have been authorised to attend in accordance with the provisions of Standing Order 17(1) with notification having been given to the proper Officer before the start of the meeting and to receive apologies for absence. 

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Gareth Jennings and Robert Sharp. 

To adopt and sign as a correct record the minutes of the Committee meeting held on 20 May 20009  (previously circulated). 

The minutes of the meeting of the Committee held on 20 May 2009 were adopted and signed as a correct record. 

To receive any declarations of Personal or Personal and Prejudicial Interests in respect of items on the agenda for this meeting. 

In accordance with Part 2 of the Local Code of Conduct and the provisions of Standing Order 34, any Member with a personal interest must disclose the existence and nature of that interest to the meeting prior to the matter being debated.  Where that personal interest is also a prejudicial interest, then the Member must withdraw from the room in which the meeting is being held and not seek improperly to influence any decision about the matter unless he/she has obtained a dispensation from the Standards Committee. 

None.

To receive notification of any matters, which the Chair determines, should be considered as urgent business and the special circumstances, which have made the matters urgent, and to receive any announcements from the Chair. 

None.

Any statements and/or petitions from the public under Standing Order 32 will be made or presented at the meeting. 

None.

Questions from members of the public under Standing Order 32 will be asked at the meeting.  

None.

To receive and consider report 23/09 of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services.

The Committee received and considered report 23/09 of the Head of Legal and Democratic Services, which set out a draft policy for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire drivers, vehicles and operators.  The Committee was asked to review the draft policy and suggest any changes. 

The Committee considered the draft policy in detail, concentrating on the proposed changes.  Members agreed with the majority of the changes proposed but made amendments as follows:

• engines must not be left idling while a driver waits at a rank or waits for a passenger.  Engines must be switched off in such cases.  This should be in the policy document, not just in the code of good conduct;

• in paragraph 6.3.6 clarification that there would be a limit of four attempts to pass the driver’s theory test of which there could be written or verbal test responses.  The policy should make it clear that it was not possible to take four written and four verbal tests, but only four tests in total; and

• disability awareness training should be undertaken by drivers within six months of the grant of a new licence or a renewal.

With regard to the point about engines left idling, councillors were adamant that as the Council had power to stop drivers leaving their engines running and had the power to issue fixed penalty notices, the Council should set this as policy and enforce it.  This was in line with the Council’s strategic objective to ensure the Vale remained a clean place to live. 

Members noted that the draft policy would be the subject of a six week consultation with the taxi and private hire trade.  Once this period had expired the comments received would be reviewed by the Committee to determine whether any further changes were required to the policy before it was recommended to Council for adoption. 

RESOLVED

that subject to the amendments set out below, the draft revised Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver, Vehicle and Operator Policy be approved for consultation with the hackney carriage and private hire trade:

• engines must not be left idling while a driver waits at a rank or waits for a passenger.  Engines must be switched off in such cases.  This shall be included in the policy document, not just in the code of good conduct;

• in paragraph 6.3.6 clarification that there will be a limit of four attempts to pass the driver’s theory test of which there can be written or verbal test responses.  The policy shall make it clear that it is not possible to take four written and four verbal tests, but only four tests in total; and
• disability awareness training shall be undertaken by drivers within six months of the grant of a new licence or a renewal.

None.