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Public Carriage Office

Developments affecting the licensed taxi trade

New Licensing Authority and Licensing Authority’s representative

The present Licensing Authority, Assistant Commissioner Paul Manning QPM, retired from the Metropolitan Police Service on 19 March 2000. The Licensing Authority for the period 20 March 2000 to 2 July 2000 will be Assistant Commissioner Anderson Dunn QPM.

For the period 20 March 2000 to 2 July 2000, Assistant Commissioner Dunn’s representative for the purpose of conducting personal hearings under Sections 1 7(2)(a) and 17(4) of the Transport Act 1985 will be Aer Paul Manning QPM.

Although Assistant Commissioner Paul Manning has retired as a police officer he will continue to act in a civilian capacity as the new Licensing Authority’s representative for the purpose of conducting personal hearings under Sections 1 7(2)(a) and 17(4) of the Transport Act 1985. These are hearings requested by applicants and drivers where reconsideration of the Licensing Authority’s decision is requested following refusal, suspension or revocation of a Licence. The Licensing Authority’s representative hears the representations made by the applicant/driver and reports to the Licensing Authority who personally decides whether to uphold or alter his original decision in the light of the further information. From March the hearings will be held at the Public Carriage Office instead of New Scotland Yard.

Change in the area for which London taxi drivers are licensed to ply for hire

On 1 April 2000 the boundary of the Metropolitan Police District (MPD) changes to become the same as that of the London boroughs. Drivers will no longer be licensed to for hire in those outer parts of the former MPD which are not part of a London borough. Drivers will still be able to ply for hire in those parts of the revised MPD for which they are licensed.

The change to the licensing area was first announced by the Home Secretary on 16 June 1998 and was the subject of PCO Notices 13/98 and 5/99. The effect will be that holders of London hackney carriage driver’s Licence will no longer be permitted to ply for hire in any part of the following boroughs unless licensed by the licensing authority for that area:

Broxbourne Elmbridge Epping Forest

Epsom and Ewell Hertsmere Reigate and Banstead

Spelthorne Welwyn Hatfield

The following locations, for example, will cease to fall within the licensing area:

Ashford Banstead Borehamwood Bushy Cheshunt Chigwell Epsom Esher

Ewell Loughton Potters Bar Radlett Staines Sunbury Waltham Abbey

No driver currently licensed by the PCO will cease to be licensed by virtue of the boundary change. However, drivers who wish to be licensed in one of the local authority areas which will fall outside the revised MPD, either instead of or in addition to being licensed by the P00, will have to apply to the local authority concerned.

Arrangements are being made to implement a dual licensing system with the Borough of Epsom & Ewell. The effect of this will be that the council will, on application and payment of the appropriate fee, license to operate in Epsom & Ewell any taxi with a current Licence issued by the PCO. It will be necessary, however, for an appointment to be made at the PCO for a duplicate Licence plate to be issued which will incorporate an Epsom & Ewell logo. (The vehicle will be subject to an inspection by a Public Carriage Examiner before the Licence plate is issued.)

Drivers presently licensed by the PCO for this sector who wish to continue to work in the borough after 1 April 2000 will be automatically licensed by the council on application and payment of the appropriate Licence fee.

The announcement of a change in the MPD boundary necessitated a review of the suburban sectors. The new sectors were devised in consultation with the London Taxi Board and are in line with Metropolitan Police Service policy to align activities more closely with boroughs. The nine new sectors were announced in P00 Notice 5/99 and consist of the following individual, or groups of, boroughs.

Newham, Redbridge, Barking & Dagenham and Havering

Lewisham, Greenwich and Bexley, Bromley, Croydon

Merton and Sutton, Hounslow, Richmond and Kingston

Ealing and Hillingdon, Brent, Harrow and Barnet

Haringey, Enfield and Waltham Forest

Transfer of responsibility for licensing from the MPS to TfL

With effect from 3 July 2000 responsibility for licensing London’s taxis and taxi drivers will transfer from an assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police to Transport for London, the new transport body under the Greater London Authority. At the same time the Public Carriage Office will transfer from the Metropolitan Police Service to become the responsibility of Transport for London (TfL).

There will be no changes in the staffing of the PCO or any licensing procedures or practices as a result of this transfer. Similarly, there will be no change in the procedures for dealing with property lost and found in licensed taxis. The PCO will remain at the Penton Street premises.

Projects to develop topographical knowledge testing

Projects to develop and implement a modernised Knowledge of London assessment for taxi drivers and introduce an effective topographical testing process for private hire drivers have been initiated. Contrary to rumour, it is not the intention to introduce a wholly cornpterised system or to lower the standard of the Knowledge.

Following recommendations from Metropolitan Police Service consultants, and with the co-operation of the London Taxi Board and other trade representatives, the traditional

‘Knowledge’ for licensed London taxi drivers is set to be modernised to ensure that it keeps pace with changing technology and increases emphasis on customer care.

In parallel, working in partnership with the private hire trade, a system is to be developed for private hire drivers to ensure that when licensed they meet the requirements of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998.

The reputation enjoyed by London’s licensed taxi drivers is built upon the rigorous standards that must be satisfied in order to become licensed. We are working to ensure those

standards are maintained but assessed by more up to date means. We also have a responsibility to introduce an appropriate system for assessing that, before they are licensed, private hire drivers have the skills necessary to perform their work.

It is not our intention to lower the standards within the taxi trade or to impose unreasonably high standards on the private hire trade. We are working to find solutions which will address the needs and concerns of all parties involved. Our aim is to introduce procedures which are relevant, objective and represent best value.

Progress with implementing private hire licensing

Preparations for the introduction of private hire licensing are progressing but there has been a delay in the drafting of regulations by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and implementation of private hire operator licensing is not now expected until the second half of the year. Private hire driver licensing is now expected to be implemented early in 2001 with vehicle licensing later the same year.

The second, short (i.e. two week), consultation on private hire operator licensing is now expected to take place around Easter. This will be followed later in the year by two separate full ( 8 week ) consultation exercises on private hire driver and vehicle licensing.

Building work at the PCO to accommodate the additional staff necessary for private hire licensing is expected to commence some time in May and take about 14 months. The work will include converting the former canteen and ground floor staff parking area into offices refurbishing the first floor, ground floor Public Carriage Examiners’ office and former car pound office; upgrading the ground floor reception area; and building a staff refreshment room on the waste land adjoining the Penton Street entrance. During that period there will be some disruption to PCO services but this will be kept to a minimum.

The PCO web site

At present the PCO has pages on the Metropolitan Police Service web sites www. met. police. UK.

Search in that site’s index for “Taxis, Public Carriage Office” or “Public Carriage Office”.

Work is currently in hand to create our own web site. This will provide an additional means by which the PCO may communicate with those it licenses and with the public. The address will be announced in due course.