No doubt there will be a lot of huffing and puffing at loss of personal fiefdoms and the like over all this in the coming years.
Calderdale councillors nervous about loss of powers to regulate taxishttps://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/busine ... is-5620478Calderdale’s councillors are nervous about the impact proposed government changes might have on their ability to licence and regulate taxi and private hire vehicles.
The Government is proposing a switch to regional licensing, whereby licensing for taxis and private hire vehicles would be taken away from local authorities.
This would be likely to mean West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) setting the policy and issuing the licences, Calderdale councillors heard.
Currently, all five West Yorkshire councils – Calderdale, Bradford, Leeds, Kirklees and Wakefield – set their own licensing policies for the vehicles.
Many of these address their own concerns, for example in Calderdale’s case ensuring vehicles were accessible to disabled people, and many other aspects.
Licensing officers said the Government would likely to expect authorities to adhere to some minimum standards but there was as yet a lack of detail about the changes.
This worried Calderdale Council’s licensing and regulatory committee councillors.
Coun Colin Hutchinson (Lab, Skircoat) said a meeting on the issue he had attended with Halifax MP Kate Dearden saw concerns raised about whether drivers would get the same level of service.
Would there be a saving to Calderdale through the changes, Coun Christine Prashad (Lib Dem, Greetland and Stainland) asked – she doubted it would be more efficient.
Coun Paul Hawkaluk (Reform UK, Skircoat) said Calderdale has high standards for licensing which it would want to retain, and information about the changes was scant so far – “what I want to see is a lot more detail,” he said.
Coun Mohammed Shazad Fazal (Lab, Park) asked whether changes meant WYCA would also be doing the testing of vehicles, rather than these being done locally as now.
Coun Regan Dickenson (Con, Rastrick) said Calderdale had high turnaround of applications for licences – could they face delays?
The changes could potentially weaken Calderdale’s strong regulating of taxis and private hire vehicles said Coun Howard Blagbrough (Con, Brighouse), who said he would oppose centralising licensing.
Councillors agreed they should respond to Government’s proposals, reflecting the comments made and concerns raised.
Officers said it was recognised that there were gaps in the detail of the proposals which would need to be filled.
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