MINUTES OF A MEETING OF THE HACKNEY CARRIAGE WORKING PARTY HELD AT COUNTY HALL, NEWPORT, ISLE OF WIGHT ON THURSDAY, 6 DECEMBER 2001 COMMENCING AT 10.00 AM

Present :

Mr D J Knowles, Mrs M J Miller, Mr V J Morey

Association Members (non voting) :

Mr S Goundry, Mr J Jones, Mr I Porter, Mrs J Rounsevell, Mr D White

Also Present (non voting) :

Mr C B W Chapman, Mr E Fox

Apologies :

Mr R A Sutton

RESOLVED :

THAT Mr D J Knowles be elected Chairman for the ensuing year.

2. TERMS OF REFERENCE

The Working Party was established by the Fire and Public Safety Select Committee at its meeting on 17 September 2001. It comprises five elected members and five members of the taxi trade, preferably representing different areas of the Island. Its terms of reference are :-

(a) To provide a forum where taxi proprietors and the Council could consider matters of mutual future relevance on matters raised by either side with the view to achieving service improvement in terms of price, quality and safety.

(b) To consider the definition used by the Council for Suitably Adapted Vehicles for disabled use and make recommendations to the Fire and Public Safety Select Committee.

RESOLVED :

THAT the Terms of Reference be noted.

3. ISLE OF WIGHT TAXI PROPRIETORS ASSOCIATION

The Head of Select Committee Support advised the Working Party that he had received six named representatives from the Taxi Proprietors Association instead of the five agreed upon. The Association were asked to confirm which five of their members would be representatives on the Working Party. These were confirmed as Mr S Goundry, Mr J Jones, Mr I Porter, Mrs J Rounsevell, Mr D White. It was noted that there was still no named representative from the Labour Party on the Council side.

The Association indicated that they had written to the Head of Select Committee Support on 13 November 2001 asking for the Council members of the Working Party, but to date had not had a response. The Head of Select Committee Support told the Working Party that he had written to the Secretary of the Association on the matter of member appointments to the Working Party.

The Secretary of the Isle of Wight Taxi Proprietors Association told the Working Party that the Constitution had been established since 1994.

RESOLVED :

THAT the Constitution and membership of the Isle of Wight Taxi Proprietors Association be noted.

4. DEFINITION OF SUITABLY ADAPTED VEHICLE FOR DISABLED USE

The Strategic Director of Finance and Information presented his report on the definition of a Suitably Adapted Vehicle for disabled use.

At a meeting of the Executive on 24 May 2001 it was resolved to deregulate taxis in favour of suitably adapted vehicles for disabled use. Some licences had been issued under delegated authority to vehicles that had been adapted through the use of swivel seats. The taxi trade had expressed concern on the interpretation of a suitably adapted vehicle for disabled use. It was therefore agreed that both parties should consider all the facts and make a recommendation to the Fire and Public Safety Select Committee on an agreed interpretation.

The Secretary of the Isle of Wight Taxi Proprietors Association advised the Working Party that a meeting had been held with users of the Riverside Centre and they were waiting for a report back from a disabled group.

The Licensing Officer had been in touch with the Council's Occupational Therapist who reported there were 2,000 wheelchair users on the Island, but as yet no written response had been received. It was felt there was a niche in the market for swivel seats but it was now thought that saturation point had been reached.

The Association stated that not all vehicles were up to M1 standard and believed they should be able to choose which type of vehicle they would use. Some of the purpose built vehicles had safety features incorporated in them, such as partitions between the driver and passengers and central locking. The Working Party were told that every authority now carried out police checks on prospective drivers.

The Association believed that the market would be flooded if more vehicle licences were issued and the Licensing Officer informed the Working Party that the Council could not refuse to issue licences as there was no current survey showing an unmet demand. The Association confirmed that a survey was needed and asked if the cost of a survey could be included into the licence fee. The Association were told that this was not legal and it would be up to them to pay for a survey.

The Association asked if proprietors who had recently been issued with a licence for vehicles with swivel seats would now have to update them to Purpose Built Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles. The Association felt that these vehicles with swivel seats had come into the market specifically to cater to those with disabilities. The Council's Senior Solicitor advised the Working Party that such a condition would not be legally acceptable. Conditions could not be added after a licence had been granted, but when applying to change their vehicles they then would have to change to a Purpose Built Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle if the policy was confirmed.

There was some discussion relating to help with funding from the DTLR to assist in the purchase of purpose built wheelchair accessible vehicles.

An exhibition involving a number of wheelchair accessible vehicles had been held earlier that week at the Riverside Centre, Newport. Representatives of relevant organisations had attended including those from the trade and Council. This had highlighted that second hand vehicles, built to required standards were available.

RESOLVED TO RECOMMEND TO THE FIRE AND PUBLIC SAFETY SELECT COMMITTEE:

(i) THAT the only acceptable definition of a Suitably Adapted Vehicle is a Purpose Built Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle.

(ii) THAT the definition of a Purpose Built Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle is that the passenger should remain seated in their wheelchair and either be pushed or hydraulically lifted into the vehicle, not manually lifted, and they be secured and transported safely within the passenger compartment of the vehicle.

(iii) THAT the aim of the Isle of Wight Council is that within 7 years all the taxis licensed on the Isle of Wight will be Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles.

(iv) THAT any new vehicle licence issued is a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle and any replacement vehicle is a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle.

5. DEZONING AND DEREGULATION

RESOLVED :

THAT the report be deferred to the next meeting.

CHAIRMAN