FENLAND: Council to Introduce Penalty Point Scheme in Major Review of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicle
15th August 2008
A major review of taxi and private hire drivers throughout Fenland has been ordered by the district council that could lead to a unified licence for all drivers.
Lin Bagwell, principal licensing officer for Fenland District Council, said: "The council has a duty to balance public safety and confidence in the trade with the economic well being of those businesses which make a living from providing a service to the public."
In a report to the licensing committee she says the council has conditions to regulate the private hire and hackney carriage trade that are "old and do not represent best practice and are outdated in some respects."
Calling for a shake up in regulatory control, she says talks with the trade have met with support "although naturally this was qualified in awaiting detailed proposals."
Ms Bagwell says: "The most significant change is the creation of a unified licence for drivers. At present a driver would need two licences to drive both hackney carriage and private hire vehicles.
"The proposal is to create a single status of licensed driver. This would enable greater flexibility for drivers and operators, and bring all drivers onto the same set of conditions."
But she adds: "For legislative reasons the two distinctions will continue to apply to vehicles and the types of bookings which can be made."
She wants the council to implement changes by next April and this will include the introduction of a penalty point scheme.
Repeat offenders - those in breach of licensing conditions and legislation- could in future find the council clamping down on them hard.
She says verbal or written advice now given out - including official cautions- could be replaced by a penalty points scheme "that would be more effective against those drivers, proprietors and operators who see fit to ignore their responsibilities in relation to the conditions attached to their licenses."
Once an offender has acquired a maximum number of points they will be brought before the licensing committee who would have "certain options of punishment dependent on the circumstances, including suspension of revocation of licence."
Drivers who want to have dual licences to drive any vehicles now pay two fees of £61.50 but under the new scheme will be halved to encourage "migration" between trades if the financial barrier is lost.
(If you are a taxi or private hire driver tell us what you think of these proposals. Email:
john.elworthy@archant.co.uk )
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