Agenda item

The Licensing Manager presented the report, which recommended changes in fees in respect of Private Hire/ Hackney Carriage Vehicle and Operator fees following the statutory 28 day consultation period in respect of proposed increases.

Members were reminded of the report on Taxi and General Licensing/Registration/Permit Fees for 2019/20 considered by the Committee on 20th June 2019 and set out at Appendix 1, which included a £10.00 increase for vehicle fees and a £22.00 increase for operator fees for a five year licence.  The proposed fee for a vehicle licence falls short of full cost recovery but was felt to be a realistic increase in the current climate.

At that meeting, the Committee approved the statutory publication of the proposed new fees in respect of these licence types for a 28 day consultation period, with the new fees to come into effect immediately thereafter if no objections were received.  During the 28 day consultation period, an objection to the proposed increases was received from the Caerphilly County Borough Taxi Drivers Association which was set out at Appendix 2 of the report.  The CCBTDA asked to raise their objection directly with the Committee and no detail as to the nature of the objection was included with their submission.  

The Committee were therefore asked to consider the proposed fees as detailed in section 5.4 of the latest report, subject to any comments from the CCBDTA, and determine the fees for 2019/20 and the date any variations should come into effect.

Mr Chris Bundy of the CCBTDA was invited to address the Committee and outline his objections regarding the proposals.  Mr Bundy spoke of the financial hardship already being experienced by many taxi drivers as a result of increases across fuel prices, insurance premiums, and other taxi-associated costs, and of the uncertainty being faced by the trade in view of Brexit.  With this in mind, he appealed to the Committee to consider delaying any fee increase until after 31st October 2019 (the date scheduled for Britain to leave the EU), in order to allow the trade to gauge and prepare for any impact following Brexit.

Questions were invited from the Committee and a Member queried if the fee increase could be delayed until after Brexit.  Officers advised that any consideration of any postponement would be a matter for the Committee.  

Following discussion amongst the Committee, an amendment to the report recommendation was moved and seconded, in that determination of the vehicle and operator fees for 2019/20 be delayed until after the scheduled Brexit date of 31st October 2019, and that the proposed fee increases be brought back to the Taxi and General Committee for reconsideration after that date.  By a show of hands this was unanimously agreed.

RESOLVED that :-

(i)         determination of the vehicle and operator fees for 2019/20 as set out in the report be delayed until after the scheduled Brexit date of 31st October 2019;

(ii)        the proposals in respect of these fee increases be brought back to the Taxi and General Committee for reconsideration after the above date.