Council begins BIG talks on taxi policies covering electric cabs, CCTV and WAVs

Cannock Chase Council are proposing a number of big changes to its Hackney Carriage Private Hire License (HCPHL) policy which will affect the licensing of electric taxis and the CCTV within vehicles.

The consultation relates to five key areas linking back to the region’s fleet of licensed hackney carriage and private hire vehicles. These include:

• Air quality

• Electric and hybrid vehicles

• Wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV’s)

• CCTV in licensed vehicles

• Vehicles which have been written off by Insurers but have been purchased or are intended to be purchased with the intention of licensing with this authority.

The consultation document invites responses from all parties who might have an interest in the taxi licence trade and seeks their views on:

• The date by which the Council will only licence electric and hybrid vehicles

• The date by which the Council will stop licensing petrol and diesel vehicles

• How best to increase the numbers of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles within our licensed vehicle fleet The introduction of CCTV into licensed vehicles

• The licensing of vehicles which have previously been written off.

Councillor Val Jones, Portfolio Leader for Health and Wellbeing, said: “I welcome this consultation on revisions to the Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, which gives an opportunity to comment on key areas affecting safety and accessibility.

“It is important that the Council hears the views of everyone in relation to proposals for licensing Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs), provision of CCTV in vehicles, and the circumstances in which vehicles written off by insurers may licensed.”

Councillor Justin Johnson Portfolio Leader for Environment and Climate Change, said: “The Council is determined to do all it can to improve local air quality and these proposals present an exciting opportunity to address this challenge. I would urge anyone with an interest in reducing vehicle emissions to review the proposals we are putting forward in respect of vehicle standards. The Council is interested to hear your views and will consider all responses to this policy consultation.”

The consultation document can be viewed on the Cannock Chase Council website: https://www.cannockchasedc.gov.uk/business/licensing-permits/hackney-carriageprivate-hire-driver-vehicle-and-operator-licensing-policy