VIctory for Neston Taxi Drivers Over New Council Policy Cheshire West and Chester Council's Licensing Committee have announed important decisions relating to vehicle standards and customer service by taxi firms.
The introduction of a new policy harmonises the different regimes inherited from the former district councils in 2009, into a consistent service for the whole of Cheshire West and Chester.
Changes relate to both Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles operating across the Borough and include a range of measures such as a code of conduct for trade and a new driving standards assessment.
The Committee voted on the age of vehicles after studying safety, comfort, and the reduction of harmful emissions, balanced against the financial implications for the trade, and determined the age limits for a vehicle entering and leaving the trade.
By April 1 2016 all Hackney Carriage and Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles may be licensed from an age not exceeding 42 months and with an exit age not exceeding 15 years.
For Private Hire vehicles the entry age will not exceed 42 months old and those vehicles would have an exit age of 10 years.
There are transitional arrangements for the next three years for existing licence holders.
The decision represents a victory for Neston Private Hire, who had argued against the original proposal to only grant licenses to vehicles under 12 months old, as reported on AboutMyArea Neston. Drivers collected signatures on a petition that was one of several delivered to the Council by taxi firms in the Cheshire West area. Neston's local firm had agreed with the proposal for the upper age limit of vehicles to be 10 years, but felt that the entry age restriction would threaten the viability of their business.
This week's Licensing Committee meeting was packed with taxi representatives including drivers, owners and business operators.
In his introductory remarks, Chairman Councillor Adrian Walmsley told them: "We value taxi drivers indeed and the last thing we want to do is to take taxis off the road.
"We have consulted widely amongst the trade, public and other stakeholders to help inform our new policy and I believe we have created a policy that, at its core, benefits the travelling public, raises standards and improves our environment. "
The Licensing Committee also reaffirmed their previous decision for all the Council's Hackney vehicles to be wheelchair accessible and gave until April 1 2016 for compliance.
This only affected some Hackneys in the previous Vale Royal district and Councillor Eveleigh Moore Dutton told members: "This policy change was first decided in Vale Royal in 2005 and the lead in time has been unequalled in length. We have gone out of our way to be fair to the taxi-using public and the taxi drivers."
source:
http://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Cheshire/N ... cil-Policy
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