Purpose

To consider amending the Taxi Policy to allow
new applicants to be granted a licence with up to 11 DVLA
points.

Content

That
the Executive amend the Taxi Policy to state:

(a)        new applicants
be permitted to apply for a hackney carriage / private hire driver
licence as long as they have held a current DVLA licence for at
least 12 months and have no more than 11 DVLA points.  The applicant must successfully complete, amongst
other things, an approved practical driving course and the
Council’s driver assessment testing before they can be
granted a licence;

(b)       should an existing
licence holder receive a fixed penalty notice during the life of
their licence and have accrued between 9 - 11 DVLA points then they
must, once again, complete an approved
Council practical driving course at their own
expense.  Should an existing licence
holder go to 12 or more DVLA points then their Hackney Carriage /
Private Hire driver licence will be revoked, and they cannot
reapply until they have fewer than 12 DVLA points;[1]

(c)        should an
existing licence holder accrue further DVLA points (but remain 11
or fewer), after completing two approved
practical driving courses, then their Hackney
Carriage / Private Hire driver licence will be reviewed with a view
to: 

(i)        
completing the Council’s enhanced driver assessment test at
their own expense;

(ii)        taking an
alternative bespoke training/rehabilitation course(s) identified by
council officers at the driver’s own expense; and /
or

(iii)       being suspended for
up to 21 days.

[1]A driver that has
his/her licence revoked by the DVLA will automatically have their
hackney carriage/private hire driver licence revoked by MKCC with
immediate effect.  They will be able to
reapply once their DVLA licence is reinstated and they have fewer
than 12 DVLA points.