Agenda item

Report of Licensing Manager

The Committee received the report of the Licensing Manager to inform Members of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency decision to discontinue the delivery of the Driving Standards Agency Private Hire and Hackney Carriage assessment and, in particular, the enhanced wheelchair part of the test.

It was reported that in February 2014, Members had approved the introduction of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency test for hackney carriage and private hire drivers in February 2014 to ensure consistent standards of drivers licensed by the Council.

It was reported that a condition had been introduced from 1^st March 2014 that all new drivers should pass the basic DVSA, and anyone driving a mandatory wheelchair accessible vehicle should also pass the enhanced wheelchair part of the test.

In August 2016, the DVSA had notified local authorities that they could no longer facilitate the tests after December 2016, and had stopped taking bookings for the test with immediate effect.  This had caused problems to local authorities who had adopted the test as a basic standard before issuing a licence.

It was reported that Licensing Services would ask new applicants to book their standard driving assessment with the Blue Lamp Trust, who had worked closely with the DVSA, in order to ensure continuity.  Other options would be offered should the Licensing Manager consider them to be on a parallel with the DVSA test.

Officers had currently been unable to identify a suitable alternative for the enhanced or upgrade assessment. 

Members considered the two options set out in the report.

Option 1         

Introduce the alternative test, as approved by the Licensing Manager, which offers the same standards as the standard DVSA test.  This would have the potential to maintain standards and public safety.  Until a suitable alternative can be found, require any driver of any wheelchair accessible vehicle to have undergone training and instruction by the owner of the vehicle or another competent person, and require a log of the training to be kept.

Option 2:        

To recommend something different that would still ensure the safety of the public.

The Officer preferred option was Option 1.

It was proposed by Councillor Metcalfe and seconded by Councillor Redfern:

“That Option 1, as set out in the report, be approved, but that any suitable alternative for wheelchair training that is found be undertaken by the new drivers within three months of its approval, even if they have had training by the vehicle owner or another competent person.”

It was then proposed by Councillor Jackson and seconded by Councillor Edwards, by way of amendment:

“That Option 1, as set out in the report, be approved, but that any suitable alternative for wheelchair training that is found be undertaken by the new drivers within six months of its approval, even if they have had training by the vehicle owner or another competent person.”

Members voted upon the amendment, with 5 Members voting in favour of the amendment and 4 against, whereupon the Chairman declared the amendment to be carried.

Members then voted upon the substantive motion, with 5 Members voting in favour of the motion and 4 against, whereupon the Chairman declared the substantive motion to be carried.

Resolved:

That an alternative test, as approved by the Licensing Manager, be introduced, which offers the same standards as the standard DVSA test and has the potential to maintain standards and public safety.  Until a suitable alternative can be found, any driver of any mandatory wheelchair accessible vehicle be required to undergo training and instruction by the owner of the vehicle or another competent person and that a log of the training be kept.  Once a suitable alternative is found for the wheelchair training, these drivers will be required to undertake the training within six months of its approval.