THE ROUTE TO A TAXI LICENCE

FOR the last two weeks, The Scribbler has asked why Rossendale is such an attractive place to get a taxi licence and I will try and explain the situation.

Firstly, the difference between a hackney carriage and a private hire car is that the hackney can be hailed on the street in the area in which it is licensed and can ply for hire in its licensed area. It is also the only one which can be called a TAXI.

A private hire vehicle can only be pre-booked from its operator for a specific journey, should return to its base on completion of each job, or continue to its next pre-booking, and cannot ply for hire.

Following a decision in the High Court in 2008, it was held that a hackney carriage licensed in one area in England can be legally used as a private hire vehicle in any other licensing area in England.

Many local authorities, eg Manchester, Bury, Tameside etc operate a “cap” or limit on the number of hackney licences they issue.

This cap is usually based on their own local demand. Rossendale does not operate any form of restriction on the number of hackney licences it issues.

A Rossendale-licensed taxi must be driven by a Rossendale-licensed taxi driver.

To licence a vehicle as a taxi in Rossendale the owner must equip the vehicle according to RBC’s specifications (taxi roof sign, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, taximeter calibrated to RBC’s taxi tariff etc), have the vehicle ‘taxi’ MOT’d at an RBC approved garage and produce appropriate proof of insurance together with completed application form and fee.

To obtain an RBC taxi driver’s licence the new applicant must pass the recently introduced basic skills test, pass a Driving Standards Agency taxi driving test – this can be taken anywhere in England – pass a medical at their own doctor’s, obtain a Data Barring Service certificate (this was previously known as the CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check, complete the application form and submit this paperwork with the appropriate fee.

None of these licensing requirements are particularly onerous, and stricter standards are in force in other licensing areas.

You will see there is NO requirement to show any local knowledge and prior to the introduction of the basic skills test, no reason to come to Rossendale before the issue of the taxi driver’s licence.

In [last] week’s column you mentioned a perceived problem in Derby.

The drivers who have obtained Rossendale licences and drive RBC-licensed cars are avoiding any more stringent rules and regulations in Derby and need to show no local knowledge of that area.

Also these drivers and their vehicles are regulated by RBC and outside the jurisdiction of Derby City Council licensing department. RBC’s rules can be enforced by authorised officers of the council and any constable.

It’s unlikely the police in Derby are familiar with RBC’s regulations, and it would require enforcement visits by RBC’s licensing officers to Derby in order to enforce RBC’s rules.

Perhaps you could ask the questions as to how often they visit, on what days of the week and how late at night they work until? Bill Malley via email