Agenda item
AGENDA ITEMS FOR THE 24TH FEBRUARY 2025
Minutes:
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Present |
Apologies |
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Ben Thomson Michael Bridge
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Matthew Freckleton standing in for Lisa - Uber PC Eccleston – GMP Kirsty Wild – Magnum Chris Smith – Head of Public Protection Cllr Rizvi - |
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Item No. |
Topic |
Action |
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1. |
Welcome and Apologies Matthew Freckleton standing in for Lisa - Uber PC Eccleston – GMP Kirsty Wild – Magnum Chris Smith – Head of Public Protection
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2. |
Minutes from last meeting agreed upon |
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3.
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GMP Update – No GMP presence
No issues to raise from Uber representative David Lawrie – recent meeting with police, issues raised - Racist behaviour towards drivers - Attacks and inaccurate logs - Customers making off without payment o civil matter or criminal matter. o a civil matter is if the dispute is about the amount that are charged, whereas if they make off without payment, our intention to pay then is it remains criminal. - As a result, the sergeant for communities (andrew Vernon?) will re instigate regular meetings directly with the trade
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MB - to make sure a response RE: customers making of without payment, is provided to David Lawrie |
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Clean Air Plan update
- GM Clean Air plan has been approved by government o Investment led o No charges to drive on roads in GM - As part of the agreed plan, a significant investment in zero emission buses, taxi improvements, and local traffic measures (Salford and Manchester) linked to the air Quality and Air Quality monitoring o Bury areas were compliant, therefore not party to the local traffic measures - Within the new scheme, £30.5 million was requested for Clean Taxi fund (to include Hackney carriages and Private Hires) o The Clean Air plan has approved £8 million for Hackney Carriages ONLY o Still works on going with regards to financial assistance for GM licenced vehicle owners to upgrade vehicles - Greater Manchester is under a Legal Direction to reduce Nitrogen Dioxide in shortest possible time o 2026 at the lates o Extended transitional arrangements to 1st January 2026 as discussed at previous meetings - 10 GM authorities have adopted the minimum emission standards o Final deadline 31st December 2025 o Non-compliant vehicles get a license up to the 31st december ONLY § If they do not change their vehicle to meet emission standards by this date, the vehicle will be removed from the fleet - TFGM/GMCA looking at how best to use Taxi funding o Including a review of taxi funding requirements § Current number of non-compliant vehicles with Bury and GM § Since requesting the initial sum of £30.5 million the number of NC vehicles has been declining o No dates confirmed for when the fund will open for application o Regular updates are on the GM Clean Air plan website o
Final date 31st December 2025 for non-compliance vehicles
- Transitional arrangements coming to an end. All vehicle proprietors have been notified and are being issued with a 12- month vehicle license on the non-compliant vehicles with an additional condition attached that the vehicle must be removed by the 31 December 2025 and a new vehicle that is compliant. – Licenses are being issued on blue paper
Mr Oakes raised concerns that anyone who changes their vehicle before the funding is in place will loose out - BT confirms that the fund is NOT retrospective, and will therefore those who have already changed their vehicles before the funding, are not eligible to apply for it o Bury council is pushing for TFGM and GMCA to release the funding ASAP o No further details as to when the scheme will open or how the fund will be disseminated o Possible retroactive date, but there is no confirmation as of yet o As soon as this information is available it will be shared
Concern raised for Private hire being excluded from clean air compliance funding - Discussions happening across GM RE: Private hire funding, but no decisions have been made as of yet
Matthew @ Uber - Discussion of EV vehicles and infrastructure - Confirmed funding through GMCA for implementing infrastructure across GM, particularly in areas with no off-street parking
Further comments noted about timing with funding and compliance deadlines
Question RE: grants available for private hire to go green, and any government funding coming along? - Discussed earlier in the meeting
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5. |
- Enforcement / Service Issues
Complaints raised
- Some hackney drivers are leaving there vehicles on the rank and going off to do shopping etc, this causes a problem for deliveries for the Mill Gate - Leaving too big a gap between vehicles therefore not allowing the full 11 vehicles on the rank - Drivers not moving their vehicle up the rank when free spaces in front of them
Forthcoming written off policy coming into effect 1/4/25 - Previous Licensing and Safety Committee Decision – Transitional arrangements ending will require an HPI checks on new and renewals. Update Website pre-requisites o Concerns raised about an overall write off policy when some cars might get written off because of parts availability and/or insurance companies refusing non-genuine parts § Could not be looked at on a case by case basis as it would be a policy decision § Any further concerns about the write off policy needs to be sent in in writing.
Hackney Carriage and Private Hire drivers badges report - Licensing and Safety Committee – 23 January 2025 - - Delegated decision: o Members agreed that the current design and dimension for hackney carriage/private driver identification badges would remain with an amendment to use a fabric safety lanyard (Yellow) as opposed to a metal chain link lanyard o Discussion RE: Credit card style badges, members made the decision to keep current design but are changing to the yellow lanyard. o Decisions to be made about distribution of lanyards prior to renewal of license
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Khalid Hussain and Mr Oakes to speak to the trade |
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6. |
Specific Subjects for Discussion
Trade requested Items: Bus lane, private hire – 30 October meeting - PH use of Bus Lanes – No change to council policy as discussed at last meeting. Response from TfGM included in previous meeting minutes. - This is due to enforcement ability and the ability maintain and keep bus lanes clear - Suggested to contact MP with concerns about traffic
CCTV funding for trade - Currently No Funding available. it is proposed that there will be a consistent policy approach across GM as indicated in CMLS – no current timescales due to delayed GM Clean Air Plan - Any funding Bury council are made aware of, they will apply for it
MOT certificate - There is clear separation between an MOT and a Compliance test. Drivers have the ability to obtain an MOT in addition to a Certificate of Compliance, been investigated, not changing current policy o Spoken to Sunnybank § The DVSA requirements for MOTs stipulate that test results must be recorded on the DVSA system at the time of the test. This process must be done separately from the compliance test, meaning that the MOT and the compliance test cannot be combined into a single event with a single certificate issued. The DVSA’s failure criteria is different to the compliance test failure criteria. o Currently Awaiting a response from Bradley Fold – nothing received
Taxi rank – Previously reported at previous meeting Visits to Ranks o 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. o 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, there are road markings and signage to advise the public that it is a rank due to this. - Note your concerns and will remain on out of hours enforcement visits
Taxi Marshalls - No Funding available – Have previously ran a pilot and it was expensive. My understanding is that the hackney Carriage proprietors in other authorities pay for the taxi Marshalls.
Rear loading wheelchair taxis - funding arrangements for kerbs slope on taxi ranks. - this has previously been discussed at previous TLM’s nothing further to report. November 2023 meeting - Rear loading vehicles o Licensing received a petition in relation to a request to permit rear loading vehicles, the department wrote out to the petitioners and received a low number of responses. o The implications of introducing this was investigated and the costing to the Council to modify the current elevated kerb structure and design at the nine sites to facilitate rear loading to be compliant with the Disability Discriminations Act is in excess of £100,000. o The Council do not have the funding available at the moment however it is actively looking at obtaining funding, if successful in securing funding will then look into changing the governance and policy. o The advantages of rear loading vehicles were discussed, and this subject is covered in the best practice guidance. It is something that needs looking at urgently and it was suggested that there is disability funding available for schemes like this. o Side loading vehicles are not suitable for electric wheelchairs and scooters; therefore, it was noted that drivers are at risk of getting injured and wheelchair bound people are being discriminated against. It was stated that it is the responsibility of the driver to advise the public if their vehicle is not suitable for certain wheelchairs. o Licensing is not receiving many complaints from members of the public regarding wheelchair access, even considering the recent petition. o It was suggested looking at applying to the GM Mayoral office for funding.
30 October 2024 Meeting - Rear loading wheelchair Assessable taxis. o There have been no developments due to no funding being available to modify the highway infrastructure. o private vehicles occupied taxi ranks o Licensing Service needs intelligence from the trade to assist with focussing enforcement activities on the matter. Officers move vehicles on when observed, which ranks as some are night time ranks only during the day parking bays
Illegal playing for hire by private hire outside art pictures house and making private hire vehicles taxi rank. o As above answer – Officers do move vehicles on when observed. - Que up next to taxi rank? o MB to speak to licensing officers RE: out of town vehicles
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7. |
AOB
Hackney Carriage Rank – Large Events - Parklife (13,14,15 June) As normal – Woodthorpe PH - Oasis (11,12, 16, 19, 20 July) o Hackney carriage Proposal § Scholes lane Prestwich closed from junction of Heywood Road o Hackney rank will be in the left-hand lane at the bottom of Scholes Lane where the shops are (Friendship Inn)– To access rank enter via Heywood road.
DBS Procurement – Recall during CMLS six monthly checks of DBS’s was brought in. - Emails will be being sent out by Licensing Service to all licensed drivers to obtain their consent to undertake a check to ascertain who is on the update service. Once received those drivers identified that are not on the update service will be required to obtain a new DBS and sign up to the update service so they can be checked. - Reminder emails are sent by Personnel Checks after a certificate has been issued to the driver/applicant to sign up to update service.
An ask for Funding stream availability to be discussed at the next meeting.
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BT/MB - to look into funding streams and provide update at next meeting. Email to Chris Woodhouse 25/2/2025 |
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8. |
Date and Time of next meeting TBC - In Person |
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Supporting documents:
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