Purpose

The Council, as the Licensing Authority under the Town Police Clause Act 1847 and the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, has responsibility for the licensing of Hackney Carriages and Private Hire vehicles, drivers and operators within its district.

In July 2020 the Department for Transport published its Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Standards. In the Standards the Department recommended that all licensing authorities make publicly available a cohesive policy document that brings together all their procedures on taxi and private hire licensing.

Officers have prepared a draft policy which brings together all the Council’s current policies and procedures into one document; including amendments to the policies and conditions in respect of the Greater Manchester Minimum Licensing Standards which were adopted by the Council in 2021.

The report proposes the Council adopt this new overarching Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy to be effective from the 1st December 2023; and to be reviewed every five years.

Decision

1)    That the content of the report be noted;

2)    That the approval of the proposed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy which includes the amendments detailed at 3.19 be recommended to Council;

3)    That the delegation of authority to the Corporate Director of Place, in consultation with the Executive Member for Communities and Safety to bring the implementation date for vehicle age and emission standards (for existing licensed vehicles) forward from 1st April 2026 should it be deemed appropriate in support of the Clean Air agenda be recommended to Council.