Spring 2012 Newsletter - Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

Taxi and private hireSpring 2012 newsletterWelcome to the spring 2012newsletter. Please take a few minutes to readthis as it is important you are kept informedand updated of all relevant taxi and private hirematters. We would be grateful to receive yourconsultation replies or feedback on any articlescontained within this edition. Please return thefeedback form at the end of the newsletteror email the licensing team at licensing@basingstoke.gov.uk with your comments.Operator licenceOfficers have received reports from driversalleging use of citizen band (CB) radios inlicensed private hire vehicles. This is prohibitedand contravenes the private hire operatorconditions which state:‘..The use of citizen band radio transmitter/receiverwill not be permitted in a licensed vehicle.’Officers will suspend any vehicles found to beusing CB radios until satisfied the equipment hasbeen removed.Inside this issue• Did you know?• Equality Act 2010update• DVLA licence update• Licensee duties• Late renewals• Awareness testupdate• Enforcement updateConditions• Consultationfeedback• Fees• Fare increase• Taxi reform update• Committee updates• Liquid………plus much morewww.basingstoke.gov.uk

Driver awareness testsNew driver applicants are required to demonstrate a reasonable knowledgeof the licensing legislation, local conditions, general driving and geographicalknowledge of the borough as part of their initial application process.Officers have reviewed pass and failure rates of tests and concluded thatrepeated test failures are occurring due to lack of applicants’ research,revision and regard to advice provided as opposed to the difficulty levels ofthe test.Officers were spending an unnecessarily amount of time processing testsof applicants repeatedly failing to meet the pass mark. The LicensingCommittee have now approved waiting times on a sliding scale which isnow a six month wait following three failed tests, nine months following afurther three failed tests, 12 months following a further three failed tests andso on. We hope this will result in applicants preparing better for tests andnot repeatedly failing them through lack of research.Liquid UpdateFollowing the insolvency of Luminar Ltd, Liquid Nightclub closed last year.In January of this year ‘We are Dance Ltd’ successfully applied to transferthe premises licence. At the time of writing this newsletter, the club remainsclosed but officers are currently awaiting a reopening date. In the meantime,the nightime hackney carriage rank adjacent to Churchill Way remains opendaily from 11pm until 4am.2 Taxi and Private Hire News

Licensing Committee updateThe Licensing Committee meetsalmost every other month to considerall policy matters relating to licensingfunctions and receive updates onchanges to the law and LicensingTeam work undertaken. These arepublic meetings which licensees arewelcome to attend and speak at. Ifyou wish to speak about any agendaitems, please register in advancewith our committee services teameither by phone 01256 844844oralternatively by emailing committee.services@basingstoke.gov.ukThe council’s websitewww.basingstoke.gov.uk showsfuture committee meeting dates,which are scheduled in 2012for; 13 March, 12 June, 10 July,4 September and 20 November.Since the last newsletter, thefollowing taxi and private hire relatedmatters have been determined ornoted at Licensing Committee:• Update on the Equality Act 2010• Removal of private hire vehicleschool run exemptions• Proposed penalty points system –consultation (now deferred)• Amendment to private hire driverconditions of licence re carriage ofpassengers• Hackney carriage and privatehire enforcement and inspectionstatistics update• Licensing fees and charges2012/2013• Update on hackney carriagevehicle numbers followingdelimitation hackney carriage fareincrease request• Hackney carriage fare increaseTaxi and Private Hire News 3

School run vehiclesPreviously, vehicles licensed to be used only for school contracts wereexempted from displaying the council’s signage and also from the initialvehicle age requirements. These vehicles were not subjected to an entryage limit and displayed a tax disc sized windscreen licence sticker only.Officers consulted with the trade in our spring 2011 newsletter andproposed that school contract PHVs be subjected to the same conditionsas vehicles licensed for general work, this proposal was supportedby Hampshire County Council. No responses were received to thisconsultation exercise.In the interests of public safety and awareness, the Licensing Committeeapproved the proposal and resolved that private hire vehicles licensedfor school contracts only be subjected to the same age and corporateidentity requirements as those private hire vehicles licensed to performgeneral private hire work.Any vehicle licensed for the first time to perform school contracts willneed to be newer than three years of age and to display front and rearlicence plates and the ‘No Booking No Ride’ door stickers in accordancewith the standard vehicle licence conditions. Vehicles already licensedwill continue to be but on renewal will be required to display full corporatelivery by way of the front and rear plates, door stickers and internal signs.4 Taxi and Private Hire News

Reporting accidentsIn line with the vehicle conditions, proprietors are required to reportlicensed vehicles which have been involved in an accident as soon asreasonably practicable and in any case within seventy-two hours of theaccident occurring where the accident has caused damage materiallyaffecting the safety, performance or appearance of the vehicle or thecomfort or convenience of passengers. Officers frequently notice vehicledamage resulting from accidents which have not been reported.It is important to report accidents and any damage sustained to thecouncil. Officers must be satisfied licensed vehicles remain fit for purposeat all times in terms of passenger and driver safety and also cosmeticappearance so will check the vehicle is fit for use. The public do notexpect to be carried in damaged vehicles and the council’s vehiclestandards, specification and licence conditions are to ensure a high qualityappearance to the licensed fleet.Hackney Carriage fare increaseA fare increase request made by the Basingstoke Hackney Carriage Federationwas considered and approved by the Licensing Committee at the November2011 meeting. Two objections were received and considered at the February2012 committee meeting, the revised fares came into effect on 15 February2012.Taxi and Private Hire News 5

Carriage of childrenLicensed hackney carriage andprivate hire vehicles are notexpected to have the right childseats or boosters to carry allages and sizes of children (unlessparents have brought them withthem). There are some exceptionswhere children can travel withoutthe correct child restraint in alicensed hackney carriage orprivate hire vehicles (if a correctchild restraint is not available).If child seats or boosters are notavailable in a licensed vehicle,under 3’s can travel unrestrained inrear only. Those 3 years and abovemust use an adult belt and travelin the rear seat only. This is theposition for practical as opposed tosafety reasons.Drivers should note section 40Aof the Road Traffic Act 1988 (asinserted by the Road Traffic Act1991) creates the offence of usinga motor vehicle in a dangerouscondition. It provides:‘40A A person is guilty of anoffence if he uses, or causes orpermits another to use, a motorvehicle or trailer on a road when:(a) the condition of the motorvehicle or trailer, or of itsaccessories or equipment, or(b) the purpose for which it isused, or(c) the number of passengerscarried by it, or the manner inwhich they are carried, or(d) the weight, position ordistribution of its load, or themanner in which it is secured,is such that the use of themotor vehicle or trailer involvesa danger of injury to anyperson’.So, although the traffic act allowsunder 3’s to travel unrestrainedin the rear, if someone ‘lookingin’ (i.e the police) take the viewthat this puts any person indanger, this is an offence underthe section above and a penaltycharge notice can be issued. Theoffence also carries penalty points.We recommend drivers performa passenger risk assessment toensure they can safely transport allpassengers before commencingeach journey.6 Taxi and Private Hire News

Renewal licence applications on timePrevious newsletters have included articles concerning renewal licenceturnaround times. We make every effort to provide licensees with renewalpapers well in advance of the licence expiry date to allow time for applicationsto be prepared, received and processed in good time. All licensees should beaware of their licence expiry date which is displayed on licenses, badges andplates and must plan to have all renewal documents in good time.The issue of the submission of a late renewal application was considered in astated case (Exeter CC V Sandle) which judged that an application receivedtwo to three days later than the expiry date would require very good reasons forthe delay for it to be entertained by the licensing authority. Delay beyond thatwould require exceptional circumstances. It is for the applicant to demonstrategood reasons exist for any late application to be considered.If you know in advance that you will not be able to renew on time, please notifyus in advance explaining why.Despite numerous reminders to renew on time, it is very disappointing thatwe continue to receive late renewal applications on a regular basis. This isfrequently down to poor organisation on the behalf of the licensee. Applicantswho submit late applications then frequently chase their licence by telephonecausing further delays. Please make every effort to ensure you submit yourrenewal applications in good time and where possible ask the front line officersto copy your original documents so you can take them away with you. Lateapplications will not be prioritised regardless of how many chasing calls wereceive.In exceptional circumstances and only when notified in advance, officersare able to schedule designated time where there is a justified reason for anapplication coming in late. Losing paperwork, forgetting to renew on time andlack of planning to provide full renewal licence applications do not constituteexceptional circumstances.It is proposed reception staff will acknowledge hand delivered applications byproviding a receipt slip to assure the licence will be renewed within ten workingdays. We will continue to turn licenses around as soon as we possibly can andfrequently work to shorter timescales. The acknowledgement slip will includea reminder not to call to chase and call back requests will not be respondedto. This will free up more time to process the licence quicker. Thank you to alllicensees who submit renewal applications in good time.Taxi and Private Hire News 7

Operator conditionsOperators are required by licenceconditions to record specific detailsof passengers who book with them.During recent inspections officershave had cause to take action againstoperators for not complying with thiscondition which is essential for driverand passenger safety reasons.To illustrate the importance of this,a licensed driver was the subject ofan assault by passengers who alsodamaged his vehicle before takingoff without paying. The incidentwas reported by the police but theirinvestigation was hindered by thelack of passenger details recordedby the operator who had recorded afirst name only. Recording full detailswould have assisted the police toidentify the perpetrators immediately.Not recording sufficient passengerdetails offers no protection at all.In contrast with this, a privatehire driver who was punched bya passenger during a prebookedjourney reported the assault to thepolice. Following an investigationthe police were able to identify thepassenger who was subsequentlycharged with assault. We recommendany driver who is assaulted bypassengers reports the matter to thepolice for their investigation.Operators are also required to keepup to date copies of all licenses ofdrivers and vehicles they operate. Toassist your operator to do so, pleaseensure you provide them with an upto date copy of your licence aftercollecting from the council, failureto do so could result in you being‘locked out’ and unable to work. Itwould also be helpful if you providethem with vehicle test certificatecopies so they can keep their recordsup to date. The purpose of this is toenable the operator to make sureall licensed drivers and vehicles aresuitably licensed and insured soto protect the safety of travellingcustomers.8 Taxi and Private Hire News

Insulin controlled diabetesRules relating to insulin dependentdiabetics being able to complywith the DVLA Group 2 licencerequirements have recently changed.From 15 November 2011, insulindependent diabetics can now meetthis medical standard which arethe requirements adopted by thiscouncil. This means that diabeticson insulin can now apply for a taxilicence but must satisfy the followingcriteria:• No episode of hypoglycaemiarequiring the assistance of anotherperson has occurred in thepreceding 12 months.• Has full awareness ofhypoglycaemia.• Regularly monitors blood glucoseat least twice daily and at timesrelevant to driving using a glucosemeter with a memory function tomeasure and record blood glucoselevels.• Have an annual examinationby an independent ConsultantDiabetologist, 3 months of bloodglucose readings must be available.Our suggested actions for insulindependent diabetics consideringapplying for a licence are:• The individual obtains a suitablemeter for recording and storingblood glucose measurements. It islikely that the taxi driver will need tobuy the machine.• The individual records bloodglucose levels twice daily for 3months.• At the end of the 3 months they areseen by an independent specialistin diabetes.• The specialist report and bloodresults are submitted to thelicensing authority for assessmentand issue of a certificate from themedical adviser.•The taxi driver goes through thisprocess annually.• Must demonstrate anunderstanding of the risks ofhypoglycaemia.• There are no other debarringcomplications of diabetes such asa visual field defect.Taxi and Private Hire News 9

BBC One Show articleThis show highlighted the increased risks to drivers who fail to check andmaintain their tyres. In 2010 there were 1200 road casualties attributed topoorly maintained tyres and in the last five years there have been 164 fatalities.Many drivers wait longer to carry out routine vehicle maintenance in order tosave money. However, defective tyres increase stopping distance resulting inmuch worse accidents and significantly higher costs to repair a vehicle.In 2010 the police gave endorsements to 10,000 drivers with defective tyres,a four year high. Drivers received three points for each defective tyre and upto a £2,500 fine. Increases in drivers failing to maintain tyres and potentiallyreceiving points further demonstrates the general need for the police andlicensing authorities to carry out routine maintenance checks. It is theresponsibility of the driver to ensure any vehicle he drives is fit forpurpose by checking the tyres daily and other vehicle checkseven if he rents the vehicle from the owner.Did you know?• All licensed drivers are required to wear their licence badges in aposition which is plainly visible.• Hackney carriages are required to proceed to another rank if the onethey arrive at is already fully occupied. Failing to do so is an offenceunder the hackney carriage byelaws. Licensing officers and thecouncil’s parking officers will be increasing enforcement at ranks tomonitor this to ensure ranks are utilised and to prevent roads beingblocked by excessive numbers of taxis waiting off the official rank.• Drivers are required to search their vehicle after every journey andtake any lost property to the Police station within 48 hours unless theproperty is claimed by the owner beforehand.10 Taxi and Private Hire News

ApplicationPhotosThe council’s frontline officers cannow issue passportsized photographs inreception at a costof £5 for 4 photos.These photoscan be used forour driver licencebut not passportapplications.This service doesnot need to beprebooked, howeverlicensees wishingto use this servicewould be requiredto take a ticket uponarrival and wait inthe current queuingsystem.Licence TypeNew feesThe Licensing Committeehas approved the licensingfees for 2012/13. Theamended fees are effectivefrom 1 April 2012 are as follows:Fee2012/13Driver’s licence 1 year £110.00Driver’s licence 3 year £276.00Operator licence 1 year £169.00Operator licence 3 year £394.00Private hire vehicle licence £235.00Hackney carriage vehicle licence £235.00Hackney carriage meter test £18.00Hackney carriage driver£33.00knowledge test/retestPrivate hire driver awareness test/retest £33.00Vehicle plate fixing bracket £10.00Vehicle replacement plate – front £9.00Vehicle replacement plate – rear £22.20Private hire vehicle plate deposit – front £8.85Private hire/hackney carriage vehicle plate £22.20deposit – rearVehicle ownership transfer £27.50Vehicle replacement door signs £6.00Replacement licence fee £15.50Replacement driver badge £17.50Temporary Vehicle Licence £52.00Note: The Criminal Record Bureau (CRB) setsthe fee for CRB checks which we collect ontheir behalf. This remains at £44 for 2012/13.Taxi and Private Hire News 11

Enforcement cornerThe council follows astructured enforcementpolicy and investigates allcomplaints, allegations,incidents and noncompliances thoroughlybefore action is taken.Those persons subject to anallegation are always given theopportunity to state their case. Thismay be by informal discussion orinterview or in serious cases wherethere are grounds to suspect anoffence may have been committed,a formal interview under caution isrequired to ensure that legal rightsare protected.Any enforcement action is not takenlightly and must be appropriate andproportionate to the matter underinvestigation. Interviews and otheractions are carried out in line with thecouncil’s policy and the Police andCriminal Evidence (PACE) Act codes.The main consideration is the impacton public safety and the seriousnessof the allegation or offence.Taxi and private hire driver’soccupation means they are subjectto the police notification scheme.The police Central Vetting Unit willnotify us where a licensed driverhas been arrested or interviewedabout any offence. You are advisedto always notify the council if youhave been the subject of a policeinvestigation and if you are convictedof any offence during the term ofyour licence. This question is askedon application forms so any relevantinstances must be declared.Officers work in partnership withthe police and other enforcementagencies and conduct daytime andevening enforcement sessions.Since our spring 2011 newsletterthe licensing team has refused fournew private hire driver applicationsand successfully defended anappeal against one of the refusalsat a sub committee hearing and theMagistrates Court.We successfully prosecuted aformer hackney carriage driver whocontinued to drive a hackney carriagewithout a hackney carriage licencewhich resulted in significant fines andcosts to the driver.12 Taxi and Private Hire News

We have also had cause to suspendseveral driver and vehicle licensesand taken other action in line with ourenforcement policy against licenceholders for various reasons including:• using ranks unlawfully• inconsiderate parking• DVLA driving convictions• driving standards• unsuitable driver conduct• smoking in licensed vehicles• non compliance with conditions• employing an unlicensed driver• failure to wear licence badge• use of mobile phone whilst driving• expired plates displayed• poor communication withpassengers• damage to vehicles• failure to notify officers of change incircumstances• failure to report vehicles involved inaccidents• Non display of vehicle livery or notin accordance with conditions• no awareness of insurance provider• late renewals• failure to display current tax disc invehicle• criminal history• driving without insuranceIt was particularly disappointing tofind several drivers working withoutdisplaying their driver badge.Passengers must be sure driversare licensed and your badge is yourmeans of identifying yourself as such.All drivers must wear their licencebadges in a plainly visible position atall times whilst working.Any driver found to be working butnot displaying badge in line withrequirements will be immediatelysuspended until they produce theirbadge. We provide lanyards andbadge holders to make it easier fordrivers to wear their badges.A number of other matters are alsocurrently under investigation. Weare very pleased to say however,that overall number of licenseesinvolved in the above matters isrelatively low and the vast majorityof drivers comply with all licensingrequirements.During inspection sessions, severaldrivers have been unable to confirmtheir insurance details or provider.Drivers must ensure insurance is inplace at all times and be aware ofthe cover they drive under. If youare renting a vehicle, please ensureyou are aware of the provider andthe type of cover in place. Thisprotects you and your passengers.Should any accidents occur, youwill need to be aware of and ableto provide the insurance details,especially if you are unable tocontact the vehicle proprietor forany reason.Details of the team’s enforcementwork is presented to the LicensingCommittee and Community Safetyportfolio holder. Both are keen forthe team to increase inspectionsessions across all licensingfunctions. Further inspections andchecks are scheduled.Taxi and Private Hire News 13

Updated checksAmendments have been made to our licensing case management systemto streamline automated reminder letters for medical and CRB checks thatare due.From now on all licensees will receive one reminder when these checksbecome due. Failure to arrange appointments will result in licenses beingsuspended pending satisfactory completion of that appointment. If yourlicence is suspended and you do not appeal the decision you will not beable to drive or use a vehicle with a suspended licence after the three weekappeal period expires.DVLA licenceupdateA new offence of ‘causingserious injury by dangerousdriving’ has been announcedby the Justice Secretary. It willcarry a maximum sentence offive years in prison and allowthe courts to impose tougherpunishments on dangerousdrivers who devastate the livesof others. At present, just under6,000 drivers every year arecharged with dangerous driving.Transferringyour vehicle?If so, you have a duty to notifythe licensing team within 14 daysin writing. The new proprietormust apply to transfer the licenceinto their name and pay therelevant fee.14 Taxi and Private Hire News

PassengernumbersThe Licensing Committeerecently approved the officerrecommendation to amend privatehire driver licence conditions whichpreviously allowed two childrenunder the age of 10 to count as oneperson for passenger transportationpurposes. Officers did not considerthis safe and placed drivers ina vulnerable position when riskassessing the safe carriage ofparties including children.This change was made in line withadvice from the Royal Society forthe Prevention of Accidents forpublic safety reasons. Importantly,it removed ambiguity thatpreviously placed licensed driversin difficult positions when assessingwhether they could safely carryparties which included youngchildren. It is now clear that driverscan only carry the number ofpersons as detailed on the licenceplate regardless of their age.Penalty pointssystemIn our spring 2011 newsletterwe consulted about a proposedpenalty points enforcementscheme. The primary objectiveof the proposed scheme was toimprove levels of compliance withinthe trade and improve standardsand the safety and protection of thetravelling public.Officers felt this offers a fair andtransparent scheme and a moreefficient method in which to dealwith proven misdemeanours.Consultation replies were receivedfrom the Hackney CarriageFederation and members of thelicensing committee. It has beenagreed enforcement activities willcontinue to be monitored andfurther discussions regarding theneed for and content of the schemewill take place between officers, theBasingstoke and Deane HackneyCarriage Federation and membersof the Licensing Committee.Taxi and Private Hire News 15

National taxi reform updateThe Transport Select Committee published its longawaited report on the 19 July 2011 calling for taxi andprivate hire legislative reform entitled ‘Taxis and privatehire vehicles: the road to reform’.The report highlighted the ‘…rules for taxis date back to 1847 and still referto horse-drawn carriages. The rules for PHVs were set down in 1976 andare now out-of-date due to the growth of mobile phones and the internet.The age of this legislation and the complexity of case law accumulated inthis area make the need to overhaul the law on these matters irresistible.’The report called upon the Government to set out its policy proposalsbefore the end of 2011, with a view to holding a consultation exercise in2012, introducing draft legislation in 2013-14 and taking an act or legislativereform order through Parliament before the next general election.The committee recommended that the following principles should underpinnew legislation. These are to listen to the views of users, keep it simple,keep it local, permit tighter restrictions on cross border hire, increase thepotential for local authorities to work together to create larger licensingdistricts and develop national licensing standards on certain issues whichrelate to public safety.At the same time, the law commissionalso published their report on taxi andprivate hire reform. It said that they aimto publish proposals for law reform inApril 2012 to be followed by a threemonth consultation period where thepublic be invited to respond to proposalswith the aim to publish a final report withrecommendations and draft bill by late2013.We support the need for legislative reformregarding the regulatory frameworkcontrolling the licensing of taxis andprivate hire. We will provide furtherupdates about this in due course.16 Taxi and Private Hire News

Seats and upholsteryIt’s very pleasing that the vast majority of licensees keep their vehiclesin excellent condition. Licensed vehicles must be safe mechanicallyand presented in good cosmetic condition for passenger use at alltimes. During recent inspections however, we have seen an increaseof instances where seat upholstery was split or had holes in. Theseare rejection reasons within the vehicle compliance testing criteria.Passengers who book licensed private hire vehicles should not beprovided with vehicles showing cosmetic damage such as this.Upholstery must be clean, undamaged and matching.Replacement/new type vehiclesIf you are considering replacinga licensed vehicle or purchasinga new one which is not currentlylicensed as a private hire orhackney carriage vehicle, pleasecontact the licensing team first toensure it meets with the requiredspecification. Officers will need toensure proposed vehicles complywith the required standards.Any additional vehicle type notcurrently authorised for use as ahackney carriage vehicle will needlicensing committee approvalbefore it can be licensed. Westrongly advise therefore youcontact us before you commit topurchase any vehicle not alreadyon the licensed ‘fleet’.This could prevent spendingmoney on a vehicle that will notbe licensed.Advertisingon vehiclesA reminder that any advertisingon hackney carriages mustmeet with the approval of thecouncil before being applied tothe vehicle. If any advertisingis deemed unsuitable and hasbeen applied without prioragreement the vehicle licencewill be suspended until theadvertising has been removed.Advertising on private hirevehicles is limited to therelevant operator name andnumber only.Taxi and Private Hire News 17

Railwaystation parkingSouth West Trains has askedus to highlight an issue theyhave with private hire vehiclesblocking access to theirpremium parking spaces bythe railway station. They havereceived complaints againstdifferent operators whosevehicles have caused problems.Their customers pay premiumprices for 24/7 access to thesespaces and they regularly arriveto find licensed vehicles parkedin their bays.Taxing yourvehicle with acertificate ofcomplianceTwo drivers have reported problemsthey have experienced whenrenewing their road tax with acertificate of compliance at postoffices. When doing so, proprietorsshould also complete a V112 formwith their vehicle details. Theseforms are available at the PostOffice or downloadable fromwww.direct.gov.uk/motoringLicensing efficiencies andsavings reviewThe licensing team hascommenced its efficiencies andsavings review. As you will know,we administer and enforce manylicensing functions. The reviewinvolves the licensing team and apanel of three non licensing councilofficers assessing our currentpractices and workload. The panelwill then present their findings andmake recommendations to thecouncil’s senior management team.We should learn of the outcome ofthis review by autumn of this year.Part of the review process willinvolve the review team speaking toour customers so some of you mayreceive a phone call and be askeda few questions about the servicewe provide.18 Taxi and Private Hire News

Have your circumstanceschanged?Please remember to notify the licensing team in writing if after the issue ofyour licence you:• suffer from a change in your medical condition which may affect yourfitness to drive• are convicted of a criminal or motoring offence• receive a warning or caution• move address• change your nameCalls are frequently received from licensees advising us their licence willshortly expire but they haven’t received their renewal paperwork. Renewalletters are always sent at the start of the month before licenses are due toexpire to the latest address provided to us. Some licensees claiming not tohave received the renewal papers have not updated us of a recent housemove. As the licensing authority we need to ensure we have your correctcontact details at all times. If you move during the term of your licence, youwill be required to pay for a replacement licence at £12.50.We also need to be satisfied about licensees’ fitness and propriety hence thereasons we also need to be updated about any changes regarding medicalfitness, criminal or motoring convictions, warnings etc.Please remember to tell us if your circumstances change since the grant ofyour current driver and/or operator licence which may affect your suitabilityto hold that licence. If you receive DVLA driving endorsements, you areconvicted or any criminal or motoring offences, subject to any policeinvestigation or your medical condition changes please let us know.Taxi and Private Hire News 19

Consultation mattersWe consult stakeholders and the licensed trade about matters whichdirectly affect you and/or your work so please take the time to participatein these exercises. Some recent consultations have received lowresponse levels. If you do not respond to our proposals, we will assumeyou support them. We value your experience and feedback and stronglyencourage you to let us know your views.Be assured that we consider all valid comments and matters raised tosupport or oppose proposed changes and updates so please provideyour written response, either by email to licensing@basingstoke.gov.uk orby post to the Civic Offices address. Your views can then be consideredas part of our review into these areas.In this newsletter, we are consulting about a suggestion raised by twoseparate operators regarding the private hire vehicle No Booking NoRide door signs. Both operators felt the door sign should also includedetails of the operator to improve public safety so passengers can beassured they getting into the vehicle provided by the operator with whomthey booked. This may reduce the number of ‘no shows’ caused bypassengers getting onto the wrong vehicle. Most private hire vehiclescarry separate operator signs in addition to our door signs. This proposalwould mean these signs could be merged so the vehicle would only berequired to carry the single sign.This would also mean however door signs would need to be updated ifthe vehicle changed from one operator to another.Officers also propose to undertake a review of the vehicle testingstandards and testing provision. Please provide your feedback aboutthe current vehicle testing criteria and the provision of vehicletesting stationswe currentlyoffer, good orBookingridebad. Pleaselet us knowyour thoughtsabout the abovematters byHire veHicLe31 May 2012.Licensed Private Hire veHicLeBooking20 Taxi and Private Hire Newsno Bookingno rideno Booking

Southampton AirportSouthampton Airport have written to the Licensing Team advising of recentchanges made to their passenger drop off and collection areas. The area infront of the terminal building has now been closed to unknown vehicles withnew drop off and pick up bays now in place within the short stay car park in adedicated area on the ground floor. This is an easy access area and providesan undercover facility in a safe position just a short distance from the terminalbuilding. A 10 minute free period is available to users of this facility. Vehiclesstaying longer than this will be subjected to the car parking charges at theprevailing tariff. Please note there is a height restriction of 2.2m for vehiclesentering the short stay car park. Any vehicles exceeding this height shoulduse the long stay car park where a 30 minute free period will be providedupon verification of height by airport car park staff.Whilst using the designated area for drop offs and pick ups, vehicles must notbe left unattended. If you need to leave your vehicle unattended, you mustuse the parking bays of the main car park area.The airport has explained the adjustments have been made for safety andsecurity reasons and vehicles are now prohibited from stopping on any of theairports roadways.Should you require any further details or alternatively wish to provide anycomments about this, please do so on www.southamptonairport.com/feedbackNo booking no ride door signsSince the door signs wereintroduced into the vehicleconditions, proprietors have beenrequired to apply them onto thetop panel of either the front orrear doors. This requirement isnot always being followed andmany signs are being placedlower where they cannot be seenwell and leaves them subject todamage from road grit etc. Pleaseensure you position your doorsigns appropriately. Failure to doso, will result in you having topurchase replacement signs andreposition these in accordance withthe conditions. Testing stations willbe reminded of their obligation toensure the correct position of doorsigns at the compliance test.As we have recently found doorsigns attached by a magneticstrip all vehicles issued withreplacement door signs will beinspected to ensure the signs andplates are secured in accordancewith the licence conditions.Taxi and Private Hire News 21

Public awareness roadshowIn the run up to Christmas, in partnership with the Hackney CarriageFederation, the licensing team participated in a ‘Who’s Taking You Home?’public safety awareness campaign urging people to check the car they aregetting into is suitably licensed.Although we have not had reports of bogus drivers in the borough, reportsfrom London and other areas have led to the team warning residents of theneed to stay vigilant.At our roadshows in Festival Place,Basingstoke College of Technology andQueen Mary’s College, information andadvice was provided to students andmembers of the public about gettinghome safely after a night out and usinglicensed services.Who’s taking you home?A passenger’s guide to taxis and private hirevehicles in the boroughFeedback from people highlighted alack of understanding about licensedvehicles and what passengers shouldlook for before they get into a car. Mostpeople thought that both vehicle typesare simply ‘taxis’ so can be hiredimmediately by asking the driver.Travel tokens7476 Taxi leaflet.indd 1 22/11/2011 12:16:12Hampshire County Council (HCC) now process travel token claims andhave assured officers all claims are promptly processed. There may bea slight delay however if you submit a claim but still have to set up youroperator details with them which takes about a week.HCC advertise a list of operators in the Borough which accept thevouchers. Details of the participating operators in Basingstoke andDeane can be found online at: http://www3.hants.gov.uk/concessionarytravel/disabledtravel/travelvouchers/cfbasingstoke.htmHCC propose toundertake a review of the scheme shortly so please pass any feedback totheir Concessionary Team at (address to be confirmed).122 Taxi and Private Hire News

The Equality Act 2010The Equality Act 2010 bought together in one Act several pieces oflegislation concerning discrimination including the Disability DiscriminationAct (DDA) 1995. It includes many of the taxi and private hire provisionswhich were in the DDA 1995 and also some important changes.The duties on drivers relating to carrying assistance dogs with theirowners in the passenger compartments plus associated exemptionscertificates came into effect on 1 October 2010, these remain the same aspreviously under the DDA Act 1995.The Equality Act 2010 proposes to place duties upon drivers of‘designated’ wheelchair accessible licensed vehicles to provide physicalassistance to passengers in wheelchairs. At the time of writing thisnewsletter, central government are still considering a commencementstrategy for these duties. We will continue to update you when furtherannouncements are made.As a general guide wheelchairs must never face sideways and must besecured using the correct straps. Once in position, the wheelchair brakesmust be on. If it is a powered wheelchair, the power unit must be switchedoff and should never be left in freewheel mode.The Department for Transport has urged licensing authorities to maintaina list of ‘designated vehicles’ which is a list of wheelchair accessiblevehicles licensed in the area.The consequence of being on this list is that the driver must undertake theduties detailed under section 165 of the Act in relation to the carriage ofpassengers in/with wheelchairs.Hospital spacesBasingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital have recentlyaltered the provision of parking spaces they provide for licensedhackney carriage and private hire vehicles. We regret we werenot aware any amendments were being made. We hope therevised provision is working well and are happy to pass on anyfeedback you may have following these amendments.Taxi and Private Hire News 23

Your views matterIf you have any comments, questions or suggestions, please complete theslip below and return it to the address at the end of the form.NameAddressLicence numberContact numberEmail addressComments, questions or suggestionsPlease return this form to the Licensing team at:Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Civic Offices, London Road,Basingstoke RG21 4AHAlternatively, email your comments, questions or suggestions entitled taxi andprivate hire feedback to licensing@basingstoke.gov.uk7740_0112©Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council June 2011www.basingstoke.gov.ukcustomer.services@basingstoke.gov.uk 01256 844844Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/BasingstokeGovFor a large print copy of thisleaflet please call 01256 844844