Taxi policy consultation 2018 questions and answers
General
1. What is a private hire vehicle?
A private hire vehicle can only be used for pre-booked journeys through a private hire operator. Private hire vehicles cannot use taxi ranks or ply for hire.
2. What is a hackney carriage?
Hackney carriage vehicles are able to ply for hire, take bookings and can also use taxi ranks. Hackney carriage vehicles must be fitted and use a meter.
3. What is a private hire operator?
If a vehicle is licensed as private hire, then a private hire operator’s licence is required. Please see the How do I become a Private Hire Operator page.
4. What is ‘plying for hire’?
This is the action of picking up a passenger in response to being hailed or from a dedicated taxi rank. Under existing regulations, private hire vehicles may only pick up passengers when pre-booked, rather than from a rank or in response to being hailed. Such regulations provide passengers with important safety protections against unregulated/uninsured drivers.
Taxi Policy Review 2018-19
5. Why are we moving to a single council?
Both councils agreed to look at the creation of a new single council for West Suffolk to help better drive prosperity, and jobs and meets future challenges.
6. What changes are covered in this consultation?
This survey seeks feedback on the main changes proposed which are:
- vehicle age
- zones
- other minor changes to policy document
Councillors are proposing to make these licensing requirements consistent across West Suffolk. We are therefore seeking to replace the current handbooks with a single West Suffolk Taxi Licensing Policy. The livery and byelaws can be different for the two hackney carriage zones but we are moving towards a consistent approach where possible across West Suffolk so we propose the following:
- Zones: retain existing areas as zones until a full review can take place, within two to three years of single council. This will include a full public consultation.
- Livery: Retain current hackney carriage livery requirements, black and yellow and for Forest Heath and no requirements for St Edmundsbury until the future policy and zones review mentioned above.
- Byelaws: revoke current Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council byelaws and adopt the conditions as part of the aligned West Suffolk policy.
7. When will decisions be taken on this?
The Shadow Executive (Cabinet) will consider the draft policy and consultation feedback on the 5 February 2019 and make a decision on the West Suffolk Taxi Licensing Policy Handbook.
8. Why do some authorities have a hackney carriage livery and some don’t?
This is a matter of discretion for each individual authority, based on local context and preference.
9. Why have vehicle age limits?
Whilst it is perfectly possible for old vehicles to be in excellent condition, the councils have previously adopted age limits to ensure consistent standards of safety of our licenced vehicles. This is accompanied by regular testing of our vehicles, where vehicles have to comply with an extensive list of criteria. It is also acknowledged that newer vehicles can have reduced emissions through the use of new technologies, such as hybrid or stop-start technology.
10. What are the existing vehicle age limits?
Summary of the current and proposed maximum vehicle age limits
| Class of vehicle | FHDC | SEBC | Proposed aligned maximum age requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private hire vehicles | 3 years and 3 months for all vehicles | 7 years | 5 years |
| Saloon hackney vehicles | 7 years | 3 years 3 months | |
| Wheelchair accessible hackney vehicles | New upon first licensing (delivery mileage only) | 1 year upon initial licensing (and 3 years 3 months upon replacement) | |
| Private hire vehicle age exemption | not applicable | Vehicles in good condition (introduced in 2017, SEBC only) | Keep exemption but tighten criteria for eligibility and 'good condition' and apply to executive chauffeur vehicles only |
11. What do the byelaws cover?
The byelaws originate from long-standing legislation, some as old as 1847, and cover a range of topics. This includes:
- vehicle furnishings – both inside and out
- behaviour whilst at a taxi rank
- behaviour when operating a taxi meter
- specific driver behaviour (luggage and so on)
- lost property
- locations of taxi ranks/stands.
There are currently separate byelaws for Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury and these are largely replicated in the existing handbooks. We propose adopting these requirements into our policy, where not included already, so we have one set of guidelines that we enforce in a consistent manner.
12. What are the existing operator safety requirements?
The current operator requirements are set out in the existing taxi handbooks and are exactly the same for Forest Heath and St Edmundsbury. These operator requirements regulate the behaviour of operators with customers, their bookkeeping and the customer-facing premises they operate.
Zoning FAQs
13. What is the effect of zoning?
It means that a hackney carriage licensed in one of the zones is not allowed by law to ply for hire, including standing on ranks, in the other zone.
14. Will zoning affect private hire vehicles and operators?
No. All private hire licences granted or renewed on or after 1st April 2019 will be subject to conditions common across the whole of the West Suffolk.
15. Where will the zones be from 1 April 2019?
The current zones created by the boundaries of Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council will remain. As such, the zones will be renamed by the Shadow Executive (Cabinet) in February 2019.
Legislation dictates that we cannot create new zones, but only abolish or retain those of the existing council areas.
16. What will happen to licence plates?
All existing Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council licence plates will continue to be valid beyond the 1 April 2019 until the expiry date specified on the licence. The legislative basis for the creation of West Suffolk Council transfers these licences across so that licensees will only need to renew your licences at the normal time during the year.
The new plates will display the new West Suffolk Council logo.
Our correspondence with insurance providers has assured us that cover will continue to be valid through the change of licensing authority. However, as a matter of courtesy we advise that licensees or operators write to their provider and inform them of the change.
17. Why are you proposing to keep the two zones?
Under legislation adopted in the 1970s, there are two zones for Hackney carriages in West Suffolk, which dictate where a driver can ‘ply for hire’. These will continue to apply under a new West Suffolk Council. That is to say, existing Forest Heath District Council licensees will only be able to ply for hire in the geographical area previously covered by Forest Heath District Council and St Edmundsbury Borough Council licensees will only be able to ply for hire in the geographical area previously covered by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.
New applicants for licences will only be able to apply for hire in one of the two zones. This will be open to review in the future.
The existing Haverhill zone was also instated in the 1970s. This is not currently enforced but is stated on vehicle licences. We are proposing to abolish this zone.
Taxi licensing questions
18. How do I become a taxi/private hire driver?
Please see the driver’s licence application page.
19. How much does it cost for a licence?
Please see taxi licensing fees for current information about fees. Fees for the year 2018-19 will be set by the West Suffolk Shadow Authority in February 2019.
20. How do I get a vehicle licensed?
Please see the separate guidance about hackney carriage vehicle licensing and private hire vehicle licensing