Regulation Round-up: The Taxi Centre October Monthly Update
Aberdeen October Taxi Updates
Council to keep Knowledge Test for Taxi drivers
New plans have been agreed by Aberdeen council to offer resits to drivers who fail part of the Knowledge Test which grants them their taxi license.
Previously, candidates would have to sit the entire test again if they failed a single section, which was causing strain on the industry in getting licensed cab drivers on the roads.
This led to calls for the test to be scrapped in order to address the driver shortage, with Cllr Steve Delaney recognising the need for change:
“We are very sympathetic to the fact that we need to get more taxi drivers on the road. And it’s rather unfair that failing one section of the test means a whole resit.”
Instead, Cllr Delaney suggested that all candidates should be given three months to pass the final section of the test, which he hopes will help “focus people’s minds and get people back on the roads nice and quickly.”
To determine whether the test was still needed, a public consultation was held in which 1,112 people participated - the highest number of respondents to take part.
Many were opposed to the idea of scrapping the test entirely, with 665 people voting against it. One taxi driver commented:
“Abolishing the knowledge test will devalue the trade and would be a kick in the teeth for drivers who have previously committed a lot of time and money into passing this test.”
Another driver argued that to scrap the test would “make a mockery of all the hard work us taxi drivers went through to obtain our badge.”
Several firms in the area also backed calls to keep the test in place, including ComCab Aberdeen, Rainbow City Taxis, and Aberdeen Taxis.
Russell McLeod, managing director for Rainbow City Taxis, said:
“Aberdeen has one of the most knowledgeable taxi trades in the country, we do not want that to be eroded.”
Bedford October Taxi Updates
Calls for English Language to be required as standard for Taxi Drivers
A recent report from Bedford BC has encouraged drivers in the borough to “bring their English up to the required standard” in order to keep their licenses.
Arguing for a test to cover both oral and written English licensing skills, the report was presented to the General Licensing Committee on 22 September by Lee Phanco, Chief Officer for Assessment, Application, and Business Support.
Mr Phanco drew on the report to argue that drivers should receive increased support in keeping their jobs should they fail the test.
Figures revealed 49 drivers were yet to attempt the test, with 19 of these being hackney carriage drivers and 30 of these from the private hire industry.
The encouragement for proficient English comes amid concerns that a lack of this could impact drivers’ abilities to understand important written policies and guidance.
A case was also made that oral proficiency could help drivers to recognise exploitation through improved communication with passengers.
The requirement for English proficiency has been in place for private hire drivers since 2006, though existing drivers were previously exempt since they had held their license for a “significant period of time”.
Mr Phanco explained that it is these drivers, however, who should be required to pass the test, in order to identify and support anybody who is struggling to communicate efficiently and give them the skills needed to provide a better service to their customers.
Provided free of charge to drivers, it hopes to change the way drivers communicate and encourage them to improve their language skills.
Blackpool October Taxi Updates
Council rejects call for ads on Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs)
Blackpool councillors have rejected requests for adverts to be allowed to feature on private hire vehicles (PHVs).
The decision comes over fears that passengers will find it more difficult to distinguish between hackney carriages, currently the only taxis allowed to display adverts, and PHVs.
Another concern was that rogue private hire drivers may take advantage, through accepting illegal fares.
The motion was suggested by Cllr Tony Williams, of the Conservative opposition group, in a bid to help drivers boost their revenue, with many facing financial difficulties amid rising fuel costs.
Speaking in The Blackpool Gazette about the motion, Cllr Williams said to help drivers “increase their revenue streams and promote local and regional business the council should permit advertising on both hackney carriage and private hire vehicles with an agreed type of content.”
The motion was voted against by the Labour group, with taxi operators also being opposed due to the difficulty this would cause distinguishing between taxis and PHVs for passengers.
Bill Lewtas, secretary of the Blackpool LTOA, said:
“PHVs are by law not allowed to look like taxis, not allowed to put the word taxi on the vehicle and not allowed a roof sign. If this had been allowed PHVs would have looked even more like taxis.”
Mr Lewtas stated it is already difficult for members of the public to differentiate between the two, continuing:
“Allowing advertising on PHVs would put the public at risk, due to a small minority of unscrupulous private hire drivers plying for hire and taking illegal fares.”
Cheltenham October Taxi Updates
Consultation to be held on controversial Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) policy
Drivers in Cheltenham are appealing against council plans to introduce a 100% Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) with low emissions fleet over fears this could cause strain on the industry.
The plan was launched in March 2022 when the council consulted on a draft policy setting out aims to produce a carbon-neutral licensed fleet by 2030.
Though taxi drivers are voicing their concerns, with claims that it would put “90% or more of the trade on Universal Credit” due to inflation costs and rising energy bills.
One driver expressed their frustration at the council’s policy, commenting:
“But in the name of carbon targets, you don’t care that you will be ruining decent people’s lives, do you?
This is an untenable idea from a council which is unfit for purpose. No cab driver can afford to pay £30,000 to £40,000 or more for an electric taxi.
There’s no infrastructure for charging, especially on ranks let alone only a couple around the town, and if drivers live in a flat three stories up... are they going to run a 60ft extension lead out of the window!?”
On 13 September a meeting took place in which cabinet member Martin Horwood defended the council’s policy explaining that it is part of an ongoing process to tackle important issues in the area which need addressing in order to reach the goal for 2030:
“We have been undertaking consultation to make sure we are listening to those who are affected or might benefit from this policy to ensure the steps we are taking are deemed reasonable.
But steps must be taken to clarify some short term issues. They are to remove the most polluting vehicles on the schedule we envisaged, which is quite soon.
They are also to clarify a technical detail about what counts as exceptional circumstances when a like-for-like replacement of a vehicle can be allowed.”
Another report will later be brought to cabinet after the consultation has ended.
Glasgow October Taxi Updates
Council to reimpose age limit on private hire vehicles
Councillors in Glasgow are considering reimposing the seven-year rule age limit on taxis, meaning private hire vehicles more than seven years’ old will be taken off the road.
The rule was relaxed during the pandemic in order to support drivers who could not afford to update their vehicles due to financial issues.
Since 2006 when the rule was enforced, no car over five years of age would be given their license, while all those over the age of seven would be removed from service.
Elaine Galletly, director of legal administration, addressed councillors:
“Following a recent consultation by the licensing section with the taxi and private hire trade through a trade group meeting held on August 11, 2022, most representatives in attendance at the meeting were in favour of the seven-year age policy being brought back into effect.”
It was argued that if the council does reimpose the age limit, then there should be a “reasonable implementation period” in order to help drivers find new vehicles.
It’s also suggested that the council could soon agree on extending the enforcement of the Low Emission Zone for hackney cabs, after many of these were hit with large bills for compliance.
Council members have proposed that an additional extension up to June 2024 should also be granted for operators who are struggling financially to comply with the reimposed rules regarding emission standards.
Guernsey October Taxi Updates
Government report highlights urgent issues within taxi industry
Recent insights from a government report into the taxi industry have revealed urgent areas for attention if the trade is to overcome several ongoing issues.
From driver shortages and lack of availability to “inadequate” tools available for the necessary changes to be made, the report demonstrated a bleak outlook for drivers and firms unless attention is given, and improvement seen.
The report also showed that such issues are also having a negative impact on other areas such as business and tourism due to unreliable service, with people increasingly turning to illegal and unlicensed lifts organised over Facebook out of desperation.
TAS Partnership, the report’s author, commented:
“This review has been challenging because the problems impacting the taxi sector in Guernsey are deep-seated and cannot be mitigated by minor adjustments.
There is a requirement for radical change... given the level of consumer dissatisfaction and service failure.”
Other issues the report concluded was a lack of updated technology in the way of booking apps or tracking, as well as limited opportunities for young people looking to join the industry.
General feelings from the report suggested drivers choosing when to work, suffering from a lack of training and development necessary for them to provide a better service.
The President of Guernsey’s Infrastructure and Environment Committee has responded by promising to work with those affected to make the necessary changes.
With the report offering more than 70 recommendations for improvement to the States of Guernsey, these include:
- Providing up to 20 extra taxi plates to cope with demand
- Introducing a system for app and online bookings as well as over the phone
- Having one local number for all bookings and queries
- Simplifying the Knowledge Test for drivers
- Adding frequent eye tests to drivers’ Code of Conduct
- Completing yearly review of taxi tariffs to avoid drastic changes
Kirklees October Taxi Updates
Taxi Vehicle age limit extensions
Public Protection Group Leader Fiona Goldsmith of Kirklees Licensing has urged the trade to be aware of vehicle age limits.
In a letter to councils, Ms Goldsmith confirmed that a decision has recently been made to allow further extensions to vehicle age limits for a further 12 months.
However, vehicles which have already received one or two additional years will not be permitted past the age of 12 years from the first registration, nor wheelchair accessible or ultra-low emission vehicles past 14 years.
Mid Suffolk October Taxi Updates
Policy placing pressure on Taxi drivers
Taxi firms in the Mid Suffolk area are pleading councillors to act on a policy they say is pushing them “towards breaking point.”
The policy requires drivers who first apply for their licenses to have vehicles which are under eight years old. Operators are hitting back at the policy, however, as they are unable to purchase newer vehicles, with the policy posing a risk of firms going under.
Cllr Jessica Fleming explained how they responded to these concerns at a consultation meeting:
“I told those in attendance that we would look to permanently revoke the ban in the future. Unfortunately it’s not easy to do so and we hit some problems.
However I’m still determined to repeal the policy because I have seen no evidence that an older car, providing it is properly inspected, poses any safety problems to the public. It’s very important for me to resolve this because the taxi trade is so important.
It’s still under negotiation and I won’t give up easily.”
Cllr Andy Mellen, leader of the Green Party, defended the plans but stressed the importance of correct support during the transition:
“I do not think that Mid-Suffolk’s licensing policy, which is gently steering taxi firms away from older, polluting vehicles is a significant factor, and in fact a more modern fleet which included hybrid and electric vehicles would be significantly cheaper to run.
What hard-pressed taxi operators need, however, is a support package of grants or loans to enable them to transition towards cleaner, more efficient vehicles.”
Existing cars which are older than eight years are still in use, however for some companies this may be a problem for those looking to expand their fleet or replace written-off cabs.
One Stowmarket taxi firm said:
“Because of this policy, we can’t hire new drivers. If a vehicle goes off the road, we can’t replace it because we can’t afford it. So many drivers are giving up and leaving. Some companies are using the vehicles they’ve got until they can’t be used anymore and then they’re knocking it on the head.
We’re having to deal with this and a rise in fuel prices. There’s a danger of some taxi operators going under.”
Sheffield October Taxi Updates
Taxi Drivers allowed to continue working for multiple taxi operators
Sheffield City Council have scrapped plans to ban drivers from working for more than one operator.
The ban would have affected both taxi and private hire drivers, however the Council have decided not to implement it, allowing drivers to continue working for more than one company.
The amended policy also removed the requirement for drivers to display the name of their firm on their cars, instead adopting approved car signage by the council.
Swale October Taxi Updates
Waiting list for Taxi Drivers Knowledge Test causing industry strain
In Swale, Borough Council members are being informed that long waiting lists for drivers to take the knowledge test are causing a strain on the industry.
One operator, speaking to PHTM said:
“Swale Borough Council has a waiting list for knowledge tests and no one can get an appointment now until 1 December.
They moan about drivers licensing in Wolverhampton but are doing nothing to prevent this by holding up drivers. In fact they are encouraging people to go down this route by being inflexible and not providing more tests which are needed as we are all short of drivers.
Then when they lose their license fees they will put up our licenses to cover the loss in revenue. Our council sets a knowledge test even though we all run computer dispatch with sat nav in built and have enhanced DBS checks.
The reason they give for setting a knowledge test is to ensure the general public is getting decent drivers. This wasn’t the answer I expected as I thought that was what the DBS was for.
The council is taking on average three to six months from start of application to gaining a badge. It is such a long process that people give up. They are killing us. I’ve put pressure on them stressing they are failing to encourage people who want to work from doing so and causing companies and the public shortages in cabs. It’s disgraceful!”
That’s your round-up for this month. Keep an eye on our newsroom for your November round up.