Hackney Carriage Licensing consultation

From 12th October 2011 to 4th January 2012 Wirral Council asked local people for their views on its policy for the licensing of Hackney Carriage Vehicles (black cabs). A recent report proposed four options for the Council to consider when setting its policy on the issue of licenses.

The details of the consultation are given below and further information on the consultation can be downloaded.

 

What was the consultation about?

The Council regularly assesses the supply and demand for Hackney Carriage Vehicles (black cabs) to help inform its policy on the issue of vehicle licenses. Currently the number of Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licences stands at 285.

In November 2010 the Council appointed consultants to undertake another assessment of the supply and demand for Hackney Carriage Vehicles in Wirral.

View the report from the assessment

The conclusion of the report is that the supply of hackney carriages in Wirral is sufficient to meet the demand for the service.

The study report concludes that the Council could either decide to continue to allow market forces to dictate the number of hackney carriage licences (the current policy) or to introduce a limit on the total number of hackney carriage vehicles.

The Report points out that Council does not have to change its current policy of no limit on hackney vehicle licences but that because supply meets demand it has the discretion to decide to impose a limit on numbers.

The Report proposes four options for the Council to consider and the Council is seeking views on those options. The Council will consider the views received when a decision is being made.

 

What are the options that are being considered?

The four options that were subject to consultation are:

  1. Option 1 - Continue to allow market forces to dictate the number of Hackney Carriage licences (no limit on the number of new licences issued)
  2. Option 2 - Introduce a limit on the number of vehicles at 289 or higher (no new licences to be issued beyond the limit set)
  3. Option 3 - Retain a free entry policy but introduce more demanding conditions on the type of vehicle (e.g. requiring much newer wheelchair accessible vehicles) (have no limit but make the conditions harder to meet)
  4. Option 4 - Continue to issue licences but only up to an annual limit. Limiting the growth to between five to ten licences per year would be reasonable, allowing for a five to ten percent increase in the fleet over a three year period.

 

Who would be interested in the proposals?

Anyone who uses hackney carriages vehicles (taxis) should be interested in this consultation as it may impact on the availability of taxis at the times and in the places they use them. This will include:

  • Members of the public
  • Wheelchair users
  • Older people
  • People with mobility problems
  • People with prams or buggies
  • Special schools
  • Anyone considering licensing a vehicle as a Hackney Carriage (taxi)
  • Anyone currently holding a Hackney Carriage Vehicle Licence.

 

What will happen next?

The comments received from this consultation will be presented in a report in January 2012, to The Licensing Health and Safety and General Purposes Committee of the Council. The comments will be considered when the Committee decides which of the options from the report will be implemented.