Issue - meetings

The Committee received a report from Mike Smith, Senior Specialist for Licensing and Community Safety.  The Committee noted that following the updates to the Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Policy in 2021 and to consultation upon the Department for Transport’s new draft Best Practice Guidance recently, a local issue was emerging of vehicles with ‘privacy glazing’ fitted which do not meet the adopted criteria.  This was creating problems of applicants not being able to licence vehicles and having to replace factory fitted glazing, often at significant cost. 

Officers were now proposing a minor change to the Council’s Licensing Policy which sought to allow ‘privacy glass’ to be permitted.

Many vehicles were still fitted with this style of glazing with it having been allowed under the previous policy.  Officers believed safety was not compromised as all vehicles would be required to be fitted with CCTV next year. 

The Committee noted a query regarding the alternative safety methods mentioned with regard to internal CCTV systems and whether that was the equivalent to a dashcam and whether there was a minimum specification for such a device.  Mike Smith, the Senior Specialist for Licensing and Community Safety confirmed that there were both forward facing cameras and inward facing cameras which covered all of the seats in the vehicle.  It was different from a dashcam which had a small SD card. 

The Committee having discussed the report;

RESOLVED to recommend a minor change to the Council’s Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy to be introduced under delegated powers.  This change was to permit the licensing of vehicles with ‘privacy glazing’ which is installed at the time of manufacture, as permitted previously.

The Council considered a report setting out details of the consultation process and responses received in connection with the proposed changes to the Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy to help prevent the sexual exploitation of vulnerable children and adults by introducing consistent standards across Surrey.

Councillors noted that the consultation responses for both Guildford and across Surrey were largely in favour of both the proposals.

The key changes were:

·        To adopt a consistent taxi and private hire convictions policy across Surrey

·        To introduce mandatory Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) training for all taxi and private hire drivers in Surrey

The Council noted that the Licensing Committee, at its meeting on 17 January 2018, had also considered the report and had endorsed the recommendations therein.

Upon the motion of the Lead Councillor for Licensing and Community Safety, Councillor Graham Ellwood, seconded by the Chairman of the Licensing Committee, Councillor David Elms, the Council

RESOLVED:

(1)     That the revised Taxi and Private Hire Convictions Policy, as set out in Appendix 3 to the report submitted to the Council, be adopted in place of the convictions policy set out in Appendix 2 to the Taxi and Private Hire Policy 2015-2020.

(2)     That the requirement for all existing taxi and private hire drivers to undertake mandatory Child Sexual Exploitation training by 1 May 2019, be approved.

(3)     That the requirement for all new taxi and private hire drivers to undertake mandatory Child Sexual Exploitation training from 11 April 2018, be approved.

Reason:

To help protect vulnerable children and adults from sexual exploitation.