A small number of drivers have been invited to consult on new proposed Licensing policy much of which sounds very familiar to what has appeared on here in the last year or so
http://www.southkesteven.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=26889&p=0it is now an 86 page document
and an absolute pain to read through but some of lowlights include...
Quote:
Every 6 months, the Authorised officer, will undertake an online check of the DBS Update Service to check the driver’s current status. Depending on what is revealed in the check, the Authority may require an additional DBS check to be undertaken
at the applicant’s expense.
Quote:
4.2.
3
Licensed Operators must submit a Basic Disclosure Certificate to the Licensing Team annually on the anniversary date of their licence. Where the Operator is also a licenced driver and a 6 monthly enhanced DBS check is undertaken it is not necessary to submit a Basic Disclosure Certificate.
Quote:
30.4
If a meter is installed, there shall be no other device which
displays the fare. This
is to avoid confusion with customers. Only the meter is to be used to calculate the fare
Quote:
25
.1
Proprietors shall
notify the Authority’s Licensing team in writing within 48 hours of
an arrest and release, charge or conviction of any sexual offence, any offence
involving dishonesty or violence, any motoring offence or fixed penalty.
Quote:
Vehicle Age
An application for a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle licence (other than a limousine
or a prestige vehicle) will not be accepted if the vehicle is
five years or older. The age of the vehicle will be taken from the date of first registration on the Logbook and which must be submitted with all applications.
The vehicle will continue to be licensed until it reaches 10 years of age,or 12 years of age for a purpose built taxis, wheelchair accessible vehicles, zero and ultra -low emission vehicles (ULEV) An ULEV is currently defined as any car or van that emits 75g/km CO2 or less.
It is expected that this definition will change over time, with vehicles requiring lower tail pipe
emissions. For the purposes of this policy, the standard that was relevant at the date of
first registration of vehicle will be used.
Quote:
4.7
Sub-Contracting
4.7.1
The Deregulation Act 2015 amended section 55 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous
Provisions) Act 1976 to permit private hire operators licensed by the Authority to sub-contract
a private hire booking to another operator licenced by the Authority or any other local authority.
4.7.2
Regardless of which operator fulfils the booking, the operator may only dispatch a vehicle licensed by the same Authority that licences the operator and driven by a driver licenced by that same Authority
4.7.3
Operators that accept a booking remain legally responsible for that booking even if they subcontract that booking to another operator. They should record that
booking as usual, noting the fact that it was sub-contracted
Quote:
The Authority requires Group 2 Standards of Medical Fitness,as applied by the DVLA
to the licensing of lorry and bus drivers, as the appropriate standard for licensed hackney carriage and private hire drivers.
3.7.3
Applicants shall provide the Authority with the prescribed medical examination form
completed by their own General Practitioner (GP), or a Doctor who has access to
the applicant’s medical history, on first application and every 3 years thereafter until
aged 65 years. Once the driver has reached the age of 65 years or if they have a
relevant medical condition, an annual medical will be required thereafter.
The
applicant will be responsible for paying the fee for the examination to the relevant
surgery and for ensuring all sections are completed in full by their GP.
The certification must be less than three months old.
Loads of other stuff in there about requiring applicants to have taken a course taught in English and knowledge tests etc.
But all in all clearly someone had too much time on their hands during lock down and wants to justify the staffing levels of the department
and of course big increases in licensing charges !