Regulation Round-up: The Taxi Centre September Monthly Update
The Taxi Centre monthly round-up keeps you updated with the latest council regulations and updates that you need to know about in your area.
Blackburn with Darwen – Council Rejects Second MOT Station
The borough council for Blackburn with Darwen have rejected an appeal for a second MOT testing station in the area.
Though this is not the first time, as the rejection is the third received in response to the appeal, leaving drivers are furious at the council’s lack of consideration.
Charlie Oakes, trade representative, said:
“This is ridiculous. The council clearly states that the age profile of the private hire and hackney carriage fleet licensed within Blackburn with Darwin BC shows 70% of vehicles are at least 10 years old.”
Mr. Oakes further stated that the council does not plan to review this decision again until three years from now in 2025, commenting, “Where is the logic in this decision?” <?em>.
Cheshire West – Electric Taxi Trials
Cheshire West and Chester Council have partnered with EB charging to provide electric taxis to drivers as part of a recent trial.
The trial will run from four to six weeks and aims to explore the benefits of electric vehicle use in the industry.
A small telematics device will be plugged into current taxis measuring how the vehicle is being used and will be available for the driver or fleet manager to review in a report.
This would usually cost around £200, however it is being supplied free of charge as part of the trial, allowing taxi firms to temporarily integrate electric vehicles in their services.
Previous reports conducted have shown that electric vehicles would be a viable alternative option for use in the industry, with reduced operating and maintenance costs which drivers could benefit from.
Karen Shore, Council Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, said:
“This is an ideal opportunity to find out if an electric vehicle is suitable for your licensed taxi or private hire business."
“In eight years’ time you will not be able to buy a new petrol or diesel powered car, plus consumers are becoming more environmentally aware and choosing green companies. It could be a perfect time to make the switch to electric.”
Sessions have been arranged in Ellesmere Port and Northwich. To register or find out more information, email [email protected]
Coventry – Vaping Ban
Coventry City Council have issued a new ban on vaping in licensed vehicles as part of changes to regulations.
The ban comes after concerns about vaping on the job making drivers look unprofessional, while posing the risk of distraction while on the road.
The changes were approved at a meeting on August 3 and affected all private hire vehicle drivers, hackney carriages, and pedicabs licensed by the council.
In a report, officers stated:
“It is currently illegal for anybody to smoke using tobacco products in working premises.
“Private hire and hackney carriage vehicles are classified as working premises and it is illegal for anybody to smoke using tobacco products in them.”
Though there is no official evidence that Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) products cause harm to the user or others around them, it has been considered unprofessional to use them whilst driving and could cause distraction.
The new rule was discussed at the city’s Taxi Forum, which is chaired by the Cabinet Member of City Services in partnership with the Unite Union and representatives from the industry in Coventry.
East Suffolk Council and Mendip District Council have already made the move to ban drivers from vaping in their vehicles, leaving scope for more councils to tighten the rules.
Plymouth – Drivers Punished for Refusing Fares
Taxi licensing officers in Plymouth have conducted operations in the area after receiving complaints about hackney drivers refusing longer journeys from the city.
The operation included test purchase rides in which two out of 17 taxis refused to take their test customers to Southway.
As part of a new initiative to tackle drivers refusing fares unreasonably, those doing so will be interviewed under the Town Police Clause Act 1847 and could later face the Taxi Licensing Committee for a formal review and pending removal of their license.
Tendring – District Council Policy Causing Industry Strain
A Tendring District Council policy is causing frustration among drivers after it was confirmed that only one taxi firm in the Harwich area is in service after 4pm.
The discovery comes as the result of a council policy requiring all drivers to have knowledge of the entire Tendring area in order to receive a license.
David Whittam, owner of the Harwich Taxis firm, drew on the pressures being faced due to shortages, commenting:
“We’re so busy because the other two firms aren’t working, we can’t cover all the work. I need at least another three or four drivers but because the test is so hard, we’re finding it hard to recruit.
David said he has one driver currently who he is unable to bring on because he failed the Brightlingsea part of the test, an area which the firm rarely even goes to.
He also shared his concerns about the price of testing, reflecting on how much it has changed over the years:
“When I took my test more than 30 years ago, all I had to know was the Harwich area. They would ask you a few other questions such as where is the police station in Clacton, which hospital to go to in an emergency, and other points of interest but that’s it.”
With tests costing more than £500, firms in the area are facing more pressure to obtain licensed drivers, with many failing under these unreasonable expectations.
Agreeing with David, Harwich Councillor Garry Calver has been working on a solution to the situation, working with chairman of the licensing and registration committee Colin Winfield.
Winfield commented:
“I was sad to learn that there is only one taxi firm in operation in Harwich, personally I want the drivers to keep their jobs because we need them, but it’s up to the committee.”
There are plans to raise the issue at the upcoming council meeting with an appeal to the committee for action.
TfL – FREENOW Expands Services in London
The mobility service FREEENOW has received a three-year TfL license to operate their services more widely in the London area.
This sees the longest license awarded for those in the private hire industry and is said to be one of the most difficult to achieve globally.
Post-pandemic, the PHV market has been evolving with services such as FREENOW, who reportedly quadrupled their trips in June 2022 compared to last year.
The mobility app connects users with 40,000+ registered drivers in nine UK cities and has been currently expanding their services to include eScooters and eBikes through connecting with key operators.
Wakefield – Council Policy Causing Hybrid Cars to Fail Tests
A council policy against tinted windows is causing hybrid vehicles to fail tests in Wakefield.
Yasa Ahmed, Chairman of Wakefield Drivers Association, explained the difficulties caused by the policy, commenting:
“Under the tinted windows policy, most hybrid vehicles which come with tinted windows as standard will fail the test. So we are advising drivers to wait until after 14 September to book their new vehicles in for testing, as we hope by then the council will have changed its tinted windows policy.
,em> “It’s frustrating and illogical, in these challenging times it would have been better if the council had actually extended GFRs, so our drivers wouldn’t have to sit at home for the next few weeks, earning no money, waiting for the policy to pass.”
That’s all for this month. Stay tuned to our Newsroom for October’s regulation round-up.