To consider a report seeking the Committee’s approval for the Council to join the National Register of Taxi and Private Hire Licence Revocations and Refusals.
Minutes:
The Committee considered a report setting out a proposal that the Council adopt the National Register of Taxi and Private Hire licence revocations and refusals.
Licensing authorities are required to satisfy themselves that those holding hackney carriage and private hire vehicle licences are ‘fit and proper’ persons. Where evidence is obtained that a licensed driver is not a fit and proper person then the licensing authority is entitled to suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a licence.
Currently, if applicants choose not to disclose information about a previous revocation or refusal of a licence, then the Licensing Authority has no way of obtaining this information. This loophole means that is possible for an individual who has be refused a licence or had a licence revoked in one area being able to obtain a licence by applying to a different licensing authority. A situation which could place passengers at risk.
In response to this identified issue, the Local Government Association set up the national Anti-Fraud Network and the National Register of Refusals and Revocations (NR3). The register provided a central database which local authorities could use to record any instances where a hackney carriage or private hire driver had been refused a licence or had their licence revoked so that the information could be shared with other members of the register.
RESOLVED that the Council adopt the use of the National Register of Taxi and Private Hire Licence Revocations and Refusals.
Supporting documents: