Minutes:
Minutes of: TRADE LIAISON MEETING
Date of Meeting: 30th october 2024
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Present |
Apologies |
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Ben Thomson (BT) – Assistant Director Chris Smith (CS)- Head of Public Protection – Chair Michael Bridge (MB) – Licensing Unit Manager PC Peter Eccleston (PE) – GMP Bury District Licensing Officer Sham Raja (SR) – National Private Hire & Taxi Association Khalid Hussain (KH) – Bury Hackney Association Cllr. Imran Rizvi (IR)– Chair of Licensing and Safety Committee Kirsty Wild (KW) – Magnum Whiteline Charles Oakes (CO) – The Hackney Driver Assoc. Ltd
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David Lawrie Director of the National Private Hire Taxi Association Habib Ur-Rehman - GMB Union Councillor C Morris - Cabinet Member
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Item No. |
Topic |
Action |
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1. |
Welcome and Apologies |
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2. |
Previous minutes and Actions All agreed |
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3.
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GMP Update - PE 19 incidents recorded since last meeting. Nothing relating to damage on taxis reported
SR - Discussion on incident occurring on 28th February 2024 BT/KW discussion on reporting and PE asked to remind everyone to stipulate in reports that they are taxi drivers, for reporting software
SR – discussion around beggars outside business premises becoming aggressive as well as impacting the business
PE discussed Operation Heartbeat as a possible solution
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PE to send update on incident on 28th February 2024 ready for next meeting (and to be put in minutes)
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4. |
Clean Air Plan Update
BT – policy change RE: non-compliant vehicles. As part of the CAP all Bury vehiclesmust be compliant by 1 January 2026 Policy allows us to place a condition on licences that by the 1 of January 2026 the hackney carriage and private hire vehicles must be compliant (Euro 4 Petrol and Euro 6 Diesel). TfGM have made new submissions to the government, and we are awaiting a response. Revised application requestedan investment led non charging Clean Air Plan. Full compliance is needed by 1st January 2026 Pushing for Clean Taxi fund as a region – but the decision lies with Central Government.
CO – How many hackney carriages – (36) BT – All authorities must comply with the Government Directive on emission standards. CO –raised the issue of the lack of vehicles available for Taxis to be upgraded to and the cost of these vehicles. BT Bury and TfGM are under a legal obligation to follow a directive because of the emissions data given. BT understands the frustration behind this, and we are aware of the need for funding in order to allow drivers to upgrade to compliant vehicles CO – Bury Council has a legal duty to provide Hackneys. KW – Struggling to provide Wheelchair accessible vehicles in Bury. Discussion on cost of these jobs. Appreciate the extension of the vehicle ages by Bury Council CS asks what the barriers (cost, availability of suitable vehicles) SR – agreeing with CO and KW about difficulties and frustrations with the funding for the CTF. Frustration around distribution of funding across hackney carriages and PHV across GM
BT discussion on breakdown of the Clean Taxi Fund for TfGM Hackney carriages and PHV (Proposal) reiterating that it is down to Central government to finalise the funding. We are waiting on the outcome of the review, which has been delayed by the new government coming in.
BT has given as much of an update as is possible. There is no further extensions past 1 January 2026, as that is the date for the government directive, which is a legal obligation.
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5. |
Enforcement / Service Issues (10 min)
The Licensing Service have conducted 2 Procurement exercises, Taxi Peripherals and the DBS Checks
The Licensing Service are currently preparing a procurement document in relation to the second testing station – contract ends 31 March 2025
Recent prosecution of a private hire driver who produced a fraudulent Private Hire Drivers Licence, - currently awaiting sentencing
Visits to Ranks
5 specific visits have been made to the rank on the Rock to check for private hire vehicles parked on there. As well as this the rank is checked every time we go into the town centre for any other reason.
Our findings are that the rank is being used as a pick up / drop off point for private hire vehicles (mostly out of town) and private vehicles. We ask any private hire vehicles to move on and inform them that they are on a hackney rank. However, in all the times we have checked we have only seen 1 Hackney Carriage using the rank, it is not being well used and is not obvious that it is a rank due to this.
Discussion on Hackney carriages at The Rock hackney rank. With PHV parking
BT/MB – It has been identified in this year’s Business Plan for the Licensing Service to undertake a plying for hire operation..
CO – When was the last Plying for hire operation done (zero) How many prosecuted for Plying for hire in the last 12 months (Zero)
Christmas Closing times – closed between 24th December and 2nd January 2025 |
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6. |
Specific Subjects for Discussion (30 min) GMCAP – CTF – Discussed at length Landyard situation – MB As stated procurement exercise carried out, this will require a report to the Licensing and Safety Committee for decision on badges CO asked if Council has gone out to trade for consultation MB indicated that no report or consultation has been undertaken at this current time. PH use of Bus Lanes – No change to council policy as discussed at last meeting. Response from TfGM included in previous meeting minutes. PH ranking up on Taxi Ranks has been discussed earlier in the meeting Windscreen signage update MB indicated that we are currently going through a transitional change – should be completed by 1 January 2025
8.19?Vehicle testing Licensing authorities must only license vehicles that are safe. It is therefore appropriate and proportionate that authorities require vehicles to pass rigorous safety checks. There is considerable variation between licensing authorities on vehicle testing, including the related but separate question of age limits. The following can be regarded as best practice.
Frequency of vehicle tests
The legal requirement is that private hire vehicles which are at least three years old, and all taxis, must be subject to an MOT test or its equivalent at least once a year. Local authorities may obtain a designation from the Secretary of State for Transport to issue ‘Certificates of Compliance’. The requirements of the test normally include those in an MOT test but may also include another inspection by a licensing officer to ensure the vehicle meets the relevant local requirements for issuing a taxi or private hire vehicle licence e.g. cleanliness of the vehicle inside and outside, correct plates displayed etc. An annual test for licensed vehicles of whatever age (including vehicles that are less than three years old) seems appropriate in most cases, unless local conditions suggest that more frequent tests are necessary. More frequent tests may be appropriate for older vehicles which may be more prone to mechanical defects (see?Vehicle age limits?or for vehicles owned by proprietors that persistently present vehicles that do not meet the standards required by the authority. More information is also provided in the?Environmental considerations section of this guidance. MOT certificates will not be issued. CO requests a reconsideration on private MOTs KW raises the point that public and members of the police don’t know that taxis don’t need MOTs MB will look into this, but there may be a cost implication. BT has previously looked into this matter and discussions were had with Bradley Fold and Sunnybank Sunnybank Service Station. MOTs has to be done live, so cannot be done alongside the compliance test, Nothing stopping the vehicle proprietor from obtaining a valid
KW asks if Mot/Compliance test processes has been looked at to see if efficiencies. – MB indicated that this would be looked into see previous action.
Rear loading wheelchair Assessable taxis.? There have been no developments due to no funding being available to modify the highway infrastructure..
Discussion about disability/safety laws took place.
KH Private hire Vehicles Illegally pparking on Hackney Carriage Stands by private hire drivers both from GM Authorities and out of town vehicles opposite the tram Station.
Previously covered in the Enforcement /Service Update
Illegal playing for hire by private hire vehicles.
This is currently in the business plan, but there are other service pressures which are currently taking priority
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BT/CS/MB to get reasoning from Sunnybank/Bradley Fold testing centres.
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7. |
AOB
CO requested that dates be set for 12 months. |
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8. |
All will be contacted To be held on Teams.
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