Agenda item

(This item contains personal information regarding licence holders which is exempt from publication by virtue of Paragraph 1 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act 1972)

The Sub-Committee considered two Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licenses.

(i)                 JWB - Vehicle Licence holder

Mr Taylor advised that JWB was the owner of the vehicle with the defective tyre operated by the driver TR that members had previously considered at Item 3 on the agenda.

JWB who was in attendance, accepted his responsibility for failings with the vehicle’s maintenance regime. He added that he had been unaware of his responsibilities and had assumed that the driver had full responsibility for all vehicle inspection and maintenance. He offered to take a much more active role in the future and liaise regularly with the driver to ensure that the vehicle continued to be fit for the carriage of fare paying passengers.

The Sub-Committee considered the representations made by the licence holder and his acceptance of culpability. Members expressed serious concerns about the lack of knowledge of responsibility displayed by JWB and his willingness to allow the driver to have control of all maintenance issues.

Resolved:

1.      That the following conditions be added to the licence:

·         The vehicle licence holder or a suitably qualified taxi mechanic must inspect the vehicle on a weekly basis

·         The vehicle to be serviced every 5000 miles

·         Records of all servicing to be retained by the vehicle licence holder for 2 years

·         Those records to be legible

·         Those records to be produced to Enforcement or Police officers within 24 hours of such a demand being made

·         A record to be kept of all inspections carried out by the vehicle licence holder and those inspections to be carried out at least weekly

·         The vehicle licence holder to retain all records of pit-tests for 2 years.

2.      To issue the vehicle licence holder with a serious warning letter in relation to his conduct advising that in the event of future concerns the licence may be suspended or revoked.

(ii)               FPL - Vehicle Licence holder

FPL was not in attendance. However, FPL’s daughter JJ was in attendance and advised that she had been authorised to make representations to the Sub-Committee on her mother’s behalf. JJ explained that she wished to have condition one on the vehicle licence amended to stipulate that the vehicle maintenance checks be carried out fortnightly instead of weekly. JJ added that she had been in full compliance with all conditions imposed on her vehicle licences so far.

The Sub-Committee considered the request. However, Members were not satisfied that the current conditions went far enough to ensure adequate regular vehicle maintenance would be carried out given that within the report it appeared that despite the conditions, a number of vehicles licensed to FPL were still failing pit tests.

Resolved:

1.      To amend condition one on the vehicle licences to read:

‘A suitably qualified taxi mechanic must inspect the vehicle on a fortnightly basis and the vehicle licence holder to carry out weekly vehicle inspections.’

2.      To only consider requests to amend or remove conditions attached to the vehicle licence after a minimum period of six months had elapsed during which time a first time pass rate of 80% would be expected during all vehicle pit tests.

Background papers: exempt