Agenda and minutes

Apologies for absence were submitted on behalf of Councillor Nazmin Chowdhury.

There were no declarations of interest.

To approve as a correct record the Minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on 24 March 2022.

It was RESOLVED that the Minutes of the meeting of the General Purposes Committee held on 24 March 2023 be approved as a correct record and signed by the Chair.

To elect a Vice-Chair of the Committee for 2023/24 Municipal Year.

It was RESOLVED that Councillor Maureen McKay be elected as Vice-Chair of the Committee for the 2023/24 Municipal Year.

To review the current hackney carriage fares/tariffs.

The Licensing Officer presented a report advising the Committee that the fixing of fares for hackney carriages within the Borough was governed by the Council by virtue of section 65 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.  This must be published by means of a tariff table.  The last change in fares took effect on 2 April 2022, and a copy of the current tariff table was attached as Appendix 1 to the report.

The Licensing Officer reminded Members that the Committee, at is meeting held on 14 March 2022, had resolved that there should be an annual review of taxi tariffs.

The Licensing Officer stated that the Licensing Authority has undertaken preliminary consultation with the trade (all hackney carriage and private hire drivers and operators) to ascertain options to include in the consultation.  A summary of the results of the preliminary engagement survey was set out in Appendix 2 to the report.

The Licensing Officer explained that the three options agreed for the final consultation had been publicised via a Notice was advertised in the local press on 22 and 29 June 2023, and a copy made available for inspection at the Council offices for the same period in accordance with the legislation.  In addition, all licensed drivers and licensed private hire operators in the Council’s area were contacted via e-mail or letter advising them of the review consultation.

The Licensing Officer advised that the public notices required any comments or option preferences to be made in writing or through completion of a survey. Comments/option preferences had been received from 72 persons.  51 dual licensed drivers (22 as Hackney Carriage Drivers and 29 as Private Hire Drivers), 1 Private Hire Operator and 20 members of the public.  A summary of the consultation survey response was attached as Appendix 6 to the report.

The Licensing Officer commented that Option 1 was to increase the mileage only; Option 2 was to increase the start price and the mileage; and Option 3 was no change to the tariffs.  The survey responses to each of these options was set out in the report.

The Licensing Officer stated that the proposed Options 1 and 2 were considered warranted due to costs resulting from the common use of card payment facilities that incurred a transaction fee and the rising costs of living, incorporating fuel, maintenance, replacing vehicles and station permits.  He referred to the detail of these rising costs, as set out in Paragraphs 4.6 to 4.8 of the report.

The Licensing Officer explained that in Stevenage hackney carriages were required by licence conditions to be fitted with taximeters.  Private hire vehicles may also fit taximeters, and in practice many did, but the tariff only applied by law to hackney carriages.  The extant tariff must be programmed into hackney carriage taximeters, which were then bound by the fare displayed on the meter at the end of the journey (ie. they must not charge any more than the figure displayed.  Private hire drivers  ...  view the full minutes text for item 4.

To consider any Part I business accepted by the Chair as urgent.

None.

To consider the following motions –

1. That under Section 100A of the Local Government Act 1972, the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following items of business on the grounds that they involve the likely disclosure of exempt information as described in Paragraphs 1 – 7 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act as amended by Local Government (Access to Information) (Variation) Order 2006.

2. That Members consider the reasons for the following reports being in Part II and determine whether or not maintaining the exemption from disclosure of the information contained therein outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Not required.

To consider any Part II items accepted by the Chair as urgent.

None.