Issue - meetings

Report of the Shared Service Lead – Legal & Deputy Monitoring Officer attached.

The Committee received a report which invited members to recommend the formal adoption of the new proposed private hire signage and corporate signage policy. The Council’s Licencing Officer explained that the new proposed signage would be of an increased size and would only be permitted on the front doors of the vehicle.

Members were advised that a consultation had now been undertaken and 64 responses had been received, all in favour of the proposed changes.

In response to a member query, the Council’s Licensing Officer confirmed that once the changes to the policy had been ratified by full Council, the changes would be communicated to the public, highlighting that a private hire vehicle is not insured unless it is pre-booked.

Members requested that the wording within the policy be changed to:

“A sign indicating the name and/or address and/or telephone number of the proprietor of the vehicle must attached, should the proprietor choose to have signage, to the front nearside and offside door only.”

The Council’s Licencing Officer explained that existing signage would need to be removed in order to comply with the policy change, private hire vehicles would be required to change their stickers on renewal. Operators would also need to change their corporate signage with a deadline being set by the Licensing Section.

Members requested that Licensing undertake a PR awareness exercise for the general public, once the policy had been implemented.

RESOLVED: (Unanimously)

1.    The wording within the policy shall be amended to, ““A sign indicating the name and/or address and/or telephone number of the proprietor of the vehicle must attached, should the proprietor choose to have signage, to the front nearside and offside door only.”

2.    The Committee agree that the report be taken to the next Full Council Meeting, with a recommendation to formally adopt the amended policy.

3.    That the report be noted.