Agenda and minutes

Apologies were received from Councillor Allen, Councillor Kreling, Councillor Serluca, Councillor Miners, Councillor Saltmarsh and Councillor Davidson.

Councillor Swift was in attendance as a nominated substitute.

The meeting was adjourned for ten minutes to allow the Legal Officer to provide advice to Members around interests.

Councillor Jamil declared a personal, non-prejudicial interest in that his two brothers in law were Hackney Carriage drivers.

Councillor Nawaz declare a personal non-prejudicial interest in that his son in law was a Hackney Carriage driver.

Councillor Thacker declared that she had received an email from the London Taxi Company reiterating their consultation responses. The information contained within the submission did not add anything substantial to the committee report and would therefore not be taken into consideration.

         The following minutes of the Sub-Committee hearings held between March 2013 and May 2013 were approved as true and accurate records:

i)              26/03/13 – Review of Premises Licence, Zaika (known as Shalimar)

ii)             22/04/13 – New Premises Licence, Super Poli, 613 Lincoln Road

iii)            20/05/13 – New Premises Licence, Maxima, 43-49 Park Road

         The Committee received a report as a result of officers receiving a request from Allied Vehicles Ltd for the Council to review its conditions of fitness in relation to Hackney Carriage Vehicles. The request was to amend the Council’s current criteria in order for the Peugeot E7 to be considered as suitable to be licensed as a Hackney Carriage Vehicle.

         The Committee was advised that there was also a need for officers to review the Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy in order to ensure it remained appropriate and fit for purpose.

Following approval from the Licensing Committee at its meeting held on 21January 2013, a 12 week consultation in relation to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Policy was launched. The consultation commenced on 1 February 2013 and ended on 25 April 2013. 

The purpose of the consultation was to seek responses from all stakeholders who had an interest in, or may be affected by, the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy. It was be noted that although the consultation covered many areas of Taxi and Private Hire Licensing, for the purposes of the report before the Licensing Committee, Members were asked to consider only the conditions of fitness for Hackney Carriage Vehicles.

At the time, the E7 vehicle could be licensed as a private hire vehicle, however it did not meet the specification set by Transport for London (TFLs) Conditions. These were the conditions adopted previously by the Council as being the appropriate criteria for Hackney Carriage vehicles in Peterborough.

The Council’s adopted policy only approved London type taxi vehicles as approved by the TFLs Condition of Fitness, formally known as the Public Carriage Office (PCO) and suitably equipped with wheelchair facility ramps and securing straps; these vehicles being the LTI TX1, TX2, TX4, the Metro Triple T and the steering rear axle Mercedes-Benz Vito.

Within the UK there were 374 licensing authorities, out of which 367 already licenced the E7 as a Hackney Carriage vehicle. Peterborough City Council was one of the seven authorities who did not allow the E7 to be licensed as a Hackney Carriage vehicle, however it could be licensed as a private hire vehicle.

The Peugeot E7 did not meet all of the conditions required as set out by the TFL as adopted by Peterborough City Council. Where these conditions were not met the Licensing Committee was requested to consider amending the conditions in order for the E7 range, or specific models from the range, to be considered as suitable for licensing as a Hackney Carriage vehicle in Peterborough.

The E7 was available in three models, those being the “S”, “SE” and “XS”. All three models were available in Short Wheel Base (SWB) and Long Wheel Base (LWB) versions. The following conditions of fitness were those where the Peugeot E7 did not meet the current specification:

7.         Manoeuvrability requirement

7.1       The vehicle must be capable of being turned on either lock so as to proceed in the opposite direction without  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.