Report of the Head of Community and Customer Services.

The Committee received a report of the Head of Community and Customer Services. The Licensing Manager, introduced the report and pointed out that the report proposed streamlining two types of licence: chauffeur and private hire (PH).  He drew the committee’s attention to the table at paragraph 3.3 in the report that detailed the differences in the two regimes.  He asserted that the two were the same save for two distinctions:

1.      The exemption from need to display door signs on a regular basis but to still have magnetic signs

2.      Only chauffeurs were potentially exempt from display of rear licence plate. 

It was proposed that all vehicles display a windscreen disc, but when certain criteria were met, then that vehicle was exempt from displaying a rear Private Hire (PH) plate for the 12 month period of that licence. 

The Chair proposed that the recommendation in paragraph 2.3 of the report be amended to read: “That the ability to grant an exemption to the requirement to display a plate on the rear of a private hire vehicle be introduced.  A private hire vehicle licence disc must be clearly displayed on the front windscreen only.”

Councillor Watkin commented that looking at the rear of a private hire vehicle it was not possible to see it was a PH vehicle, but from the front it was possible.  He stated that he failed to understand the reasoning for this and that the policy seemed to create a sub-category.  He added that he could not see why this might discourage high-end hirers. 

The Licensing Manager replied that some operators had stated that they would lose business if they had to display a private hire plate. 

Councillor Ewudo asked about the market for these types of private hire clients. 

The Licensing Manager replied that these were a different type of operator who chauffeured diplomats or drove celebrities to the film studios.  However, apart from one, this type of operator no longer operated in Watford. 

Councillor Derbyshire stated that he could not see why there should be no rear plate.  It was discrete and it was useful to be able to identify a vehicle as a private hire car. 

The Environmental Health and Licensing Section Head commented that there was only one operator in the Watford area that would qualify for this proposed exemption.  They would be able to demonstrate a business need as the lack of a plate would be specified in the client’s contract.  The PH vehicles collecting from hotels would not qualify. 

Councillor Hofman stated that he would echo Councillor Derbyshire’s comments, but as the number of vehicles which would qualify for the exemption would be so small, and there may be particular security concerns for diplomats, then he would support the exemption. 

Councillor Silver commented that most speeding motorists could be local residents rather than professional drivers.  He made the point that if operators lost business as a result of having to display a plate, then more customers would go to businesses that we cannot regulate and that he would trust council officers to make good decisions on the council’s behalf. 

Following a suggestion from the Environmental Health and Licensing Section Head the Chair then asked if the committee would be reassured if the Chair of the Licensing Committee was involved in the decision to grant any exemption and proposed adding this to recommendation 2.3.

The Committee voted on the proposed amendments to paragraph 2.3 and the amendment was agreed. 

            RESOLVED –

1.      that no new applications for “chauffeur” operator, vehicle or driver licence applications be accepted with immediate effect.

2.      that before 31 January 2016:

          (1)     existing licences for “chauffeur” operators, drivers and vehicles be revoked and;

          (2)     immediately replaced with the equivalent private hire licence for the duration of the previous licence at no additional charge, providing the licensee fulfils all the requirements to hold that licence as if they were existing licensees. 

3.      that the ability to grant an exemption to the requirement to display a plate on the rear of a private hire vehicle be introduced. A private hire vehicle licence disc must be clearly displayed on the front windscreen only.

                   This exemption can only by authorised by the Licensing Manager or Section Head, in consultation with the Chair of the Licensing Committee. It applies to individual vehicles only and will be required to be renewed at least annually with the associated private hire vehicle licence application. The licensee will need to demonstrate the need for the exemption on the grounds of business necessity and that it will have no impact on public safety.