Taxi Driver Online

This was released almost three weeks ago, and came across it via TaxiPoint

Maybe I missed it on here, but can't find any mention of it via the search...

And not sure if the IoL's website is members-only these days, but it's certainly not open access, and this statement via their Facebook page is quite brief.

So no summary of maybe the main differences as compared to the 2018 guidance, for example.

And it certainly won't be me picking through it all. I'd guess PHTM might produce an article critiquing it and/or summarising the main changes...

But note the word 'licensees' in the square brackets below. I'd guess that was intended as an editing suggestion, but someone somewhere forgot to take it out


Institute publishes Taxi Licence Suitability Guidance for Local Authorities

Suitability Guidance for Local Authorities

The Institute of Licensing has published updated guidance for licensing authorities when considering the suitability of applicants and licensed holders for taxi and private hire driver, operator and vehicle proprietor licences.

The latest guidance replaces the guidance originally published by the Institute in April 2018. The original guidance was widely used by local authorities and closely followed in the Annex at section 10 of the DfT's Statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards, published in 2020.

The Guidance is intended to assist licensing authorities in considering their own licensing policies on determining the suitability of applicants and licence holders [licensees?] for taxi and private hire licensing. It was well received among such authorities generally, with many updating or reviewing their policies by incorporating the guidance in part or in whole, ahead of or subsequent to the publication of the DfT standards. The guidance has been successful cited in courts where it has been so incorporated by authorities and also as a stand-alone reference.

https://files.constantcontact.com/809c3 ... 3f2ed7.pdf

There's actually a slightly longer statement on the IoL's website - earlier I'd tried to find the site via Google, which asked for sign-in details and/or the usual Facebook/X/LinkedIn/Google login option, which I usually decline


Institute publishes Taxi Licence Suitability Guidance for Local Authorities

https://instituteoflicensing.org/networ ... thorities/

The Institute of Licensing has published updated guidance for licensing authorities when considering the suitability of applicants and licensed holders for taxi and private hire driver, operator and vehicle proprietor licences.

The latest guidance replaces the guidance originally published by the Institute in April 2018. The original guidance was widely used by local authorities and closely followed in the Annex at section 10 of the DfT’s Statutory taxi and private hire vehicle standards, published in 2020.

The Guidance is intended to assist licensing authorities in considering their own licensing policies on determining the suitability of applicants and licence holders for taxi and private hire licensing. It was well received among such authorities generally, with many updating or reviewing their policies by incorporating the guidance in part or in whole, ahead of or subsequent to the publication of the DfT standards. The guidance has been successful cited in courts where it has been so incorporated by authorities and also as a stand-alone reference.

The Suitability Working Group had an informal review planned for 2021. Work started in 2022 (delayed from 2021 due to the pandemic), with an initial consultation (round 1) in 2022 on the effectiveness and level of adoption of the guidance. The Working Group assessed the round 1 consultation responses paused work pending the publication of the DfT’s Best Practice Guidance in November 2023.

Since then, the group have been heavily involved in reviewing each section of the 2018 guidance, with particular focus on the specific areas most commonly mentioned in the consultation responses, including violence, road traffic offences and behaviours. In addition, the Suitability Group was delighted to welcome Professor James Treadwell to add his expertise and research in criminology and offender behaviour trends in re-writing Chapter 2 of the guidance under its new title ‘ Offenders, Offending, Re-offending and Risk of Harm’.

The draft revised guidance was subject to a further (round 2) consultation which closed on 30 September 2024, and the working group have carefully reviewed all the consultation responses in producing this revised guidance which is published at the IoL’s National Training Conference in November 2024.

Working Group Chair, Stephen Turner, said:

“This updated Guidance is intended to inform those who regulate the hackney and private hire trades. It has been produced following extensive consultation with and consideration of the views of the regulators and the trades. It is hoped that many licensing authorities will adopt it and use it to assist in their decision-making in order to deliver their duty to protect the public.”

IoL President James Button said:

“The taxi and private hire industry provides vital transportation to everyone in our society. The vast majority of licensees are honest, decent, hardworking people. This document provides clear guidance to licensing authorities to ensure that those are unsuitable, or who wish to exploit, harm or abuse passengers are not allowed to have or retain licences. This will benefit the industry, the licensing authorities and society.”

John Miley, NALEO National Chair said:

“I am delighted with NALEO’s participation in this work and getting the updated suitability guidance published. This is an important piece of work and we hope licensing authorities find the updated guidance useful.”

...not a good start to the document, though - at the bottom of the first page it says:

Produced by the Institute of Licensing in partnership with:


...then it's just blank

Can't get it to copy and paste, but a quick use of the search function suggests it's still a minimum five year ban for using a hands-held mobile phone (para 4.52).

However, it states it's about a 'conviction' for a hands-held mobile phone. Isn't a mobile phone offence usually dealt with via a Fixed Penalty Notice?

Yesterday's minor House of Commons stuff about Sir Keir/Boris/Rishi and the FPNs handed out to the latter two regarding 'Partygate' underline that FPNs aren't actually 'convictions' in the strict sense

To that extent, does that mean the IoL's guideline on using mobile phones doesn't normally apply because it's normally dealt with via an FPN?

https://www.fenlandcitizen.co.uk/nation ... im-134023/

(Funnily enough, one of the only links suggested by Google on yesterday's stuff is the Fenland Citizen's piece above )

Yes.

I have to wonder why a group of civil servants, and lawyers working for those civil servants, have taken it upon themselves to be the sentencing council for the taxi/PH trade.

Are they accountable to anyone?

Have they ever consulted with trade members?

_________________
IDFIMH

No