Issue - meetings

(i)       consider the results of the public consultation;

(ii)      retain the policy that all new applications for a taxi vehicle licence require to be for a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV);

(iii)      agree a mixed fleet with a 50/50 split between Saloons and WAVs;

(iv)     instruct the Chief Officer – Governance to organise the list in order of length of licence held at that date and add applicants to the bottom of the list thereafter;

(v)      agree that each applicant on the waiting list be permitted one opportunity to pass on the chance to change vehicle before being moved to the bottom of the list;  

(vi)     agree that an applicant who accepts the opportunity to change vehicle is given 6 months in which to do so before the opportunity passes to the next applicant on the list;

(vii)     that all current licence holders could apply for access to the waiting list for a saloon plate from 9 July 2025;

(viii)    instruct the Chief Officer – Governance to conduct a review of the mixed fleet policy within a 12-month period and bring back a report to the Licensing Committee to identify any challenges which have arisen in implementation of the policy and to determine if any changes are required to ensure the effective operation and application of the policy.  Such a review to include a note of the current split within the fleet; and

(ix)     to defer any Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle exemption requests to the Committee meeting on 8 October 2025.

With reference to article 8 of the minute of meeting of 4 December 2024, the Committee had before it a report by the Executive Director of Corporate Services which provided an update on the options for implementation of a mixed taxi fleet.

The report recommended:-

that the Committee –

(a)      consider the results of the public consultation;

(b)      retain the policy that all new applications for a taxi vehicle licence require to be for a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV);

(c)      agree a mixed fleet with a 50/50 split between Saloons and WAVs;

(d)      stipulate a date by which all current licence holders can apply for access to the waiting list for a saloon plate;

(e)      instruct the Chief Officer – Governance to organise the list in order of length of licence held at that date and add applicants to the bottom of the list thereafter;

(f)       agree that each applicant on the waiting list be permitted one opportunity to pass on the chance to change vehicle before being moved to the bottom of the list; and

(g)      agree that an applicant who accepts the opportunity to change vehicle is given 6 months in which to do so before the opportunity passes to the next applicant on the list.

The Committee resolved:-

(i)       to approve recommendations (a) to (c) and (e) to (g);

(ii)      that in relation to recommendation (d), all current licence holders could apply for access to the waiting list for a saloon plate by 9 July 2025;

(iii)      to instruct the Chief Officer – Governance to conduct a review of the mixed fleet policy within a 12-month period and bring back a report to the Licensing Committee to identify any challenges which have arisen in implementation of the policy and to determine if any changes are required to ensure the effective operation and application of the policy. Such a review to include a note of the current split within the fleet; and

(iv)     to defer any Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle exemption requests to the Committee meeting on 8 October 2025.