Consultation launched into revised private hire policy
Tougher enforcement on taxi drivers is expected to come into force as councillors at Lichfield District Council approve a six-week consultation.
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Additional changes being proposed are a relaxation of the age of vehicles and an easier application process.
This comes as the Regulatory and Licensing Committee were asked to consider a revised hackney carriage and private hire policy.
The last update was approved in 2022 and since that time a number of changes are needed to keep up with statutory guidance and best practice.
In total, five areas have received changes, these include the layout of the policy; the application process; a new policy for out of area drivers; the age of vehicles and enforcement.
The new policy on out of area drivers involves customers being notified by the operator if their taxi has been allocated to a driver from out of the area.
Currently there are no restrictions in place to stop a driver being licensed by another council working in Lichfield.
Council officers will then be able to see records of the number of journeys taking place from drivers licenced from outside of the area.
The report to councillors states that out of area drivers are a ‘key concern’ to drivers.
The age in which vehicles are able to be licensed is also proposed to change. At the moment a vehicle has to be less than five years old when it first gets licensed, now it is proposed to increase to eight years.
The policy also attempts to increase the use of wheelchair adapted vehicles and hybrid or electric cars.
Now wheelchair accessible vehicles can be registered up to less than 10 years old where previously it was based on vehicle type and hybrid and electric vehicles can be licensed in perpetuity providing it passes compliance inspections.
These changes are reflective of the fact that now vehicles can be maintained to a high standard for longer periods of time.
Enforcement is also set to change if the policy is adopted by cabinet after the consultation period.
This means that council officers will now be able to suspend licences for a range of offences.
It is hoped that this change will raise standards and keep the public safer.
