Crawley Borough Council latest to review taxi licensing policies

Crawley Borough Council is the latest licensing authority to ask for views on its Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy.

The action will review policies to ensure it remains current and includes Department for Transport (DfT) Statutory Standards.

The DfT published a central set of policies and standards in July 2020 to help regulate the taxi and private hire sector across all local authorities. The council’s Licensing Committee has approved a draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy to ensure these standards are considered as well as wide ranging changes to reflect changes in practice. The primary purpose of the draft policy is public safety.

The policy includes:

• Increased criminal checks on licensed drivers, operators and dispatch staff

• Additional standards required to help ensure driver, vehicle and passenger safety

• Improved information sharing processes via a National Database (NR3) and the DBS regarding driver issues and revocations

• Inclusion of measures to improve the customer experience.

Before the draft policy is formally put in place, the council is seeking the views of a wide variety of interested parties, including existing licence holders, representatives of the hackney carriage and private hire trade, and the general public via an online survey.

People can have their say by completing the survey by 12 noon on Monday 17 January 2022.

Cllr Gurinder Jhans, Crawley Borough Council Cabinet member for Environmental Services and Sustainability, said: “The primary purpose of the taxi licensing regime is public safety. We’d really like to hear from anyone who uses taxis as well as the taxi trade, so I would encourage everyone to participate and have their say.”