Agenda item

The Service Director Legal Services will submit a report providing an overview of the work Licensing Officers are currently undertaking to advise and support the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire trade during the COVID pandemic.

The Service Director Legal Services submitted a report providing an overview of the continuing work of the Licensing Enforcement Officers undertaken to advise and support to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire trade who had continued to work during the COVID Pandemic.

Members were informed that Licensing Officers had been and continued to be proactively working with the Trade and other Local Authorities to ensure that both customers and drivers remained safe and that no official guidance had been released in relation to Hackney, Private hire vehicles, drivers and operators.

Licensing Officers were working hard to support everyone that was involved.  Officers had limited access to their offices in Westgate and had been attending a few hours a week in order to produce and post vehicle licence plates and driver badges to ensure continuous service.

Members noted that Officers had made the decision not to grant extensions to driver or vehicle licences to maintain public safety.  Many of the garages that carry out MOT testing had remained open during the lock down ensuring that drivers could obtain the required MOT.  All local knowledge tests had been cancelled and remained cancelled and no new driver applications were being accepted whilst COVID restrictions were in place. 

It was reported that Licensing Officers had received several enquiries with regards to the installation of partition screens in their licensed vehicles, whilst this was not part of the vehicle policy it would comply with the Transport for London guidance in relation to screens being fitted safely and to ensure they don’t interfere with airbags or become a trip hazard.  Members were informed that a number of drivers had already had these fitted.  These would remain in their cars as a protection screen in the future and this was seen as a vehicle safety investment for drivers going forward. 

Members were informed that facemask wearing for both drivers and passengers was not compulsory, however, Licensing Officers had sourced around 1700 masks which was enough for every Hackney Carriage vehicle to have a box to hand out to customers to keep everyone safe.  Drivers were also encouraged to sanitise vehicles after every passenger, focusing on seatbelt buckles and door handles but this was not enforceable and was guidance only.

RESOLVED that the report be noted and the Board place on record it’s thanks and appreciation to the staff within the Licensing Service for all their hard work in ensuring the continued safety of the drivers and travelling public during the COVID pandemic.

Digitalisation

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Licensing Officer gave an update to members with regards to the Digitalisation of the Licensing function which was due to be rolled out in April 2020.  This had been put on hold but Licensing Officers were working with IT to get it up and running as soon as possible.  In the interim Officers and drivers had been corresponding by email, taking payments over the phone and badges and plates being posted out rather than collected in person from the offices which are currently closed and thankfully everyone was on board and working well together.