Agenda item

Notice of Motion given by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed

That this Council:-

 

(a)       notes the consultation currently taking place on the Private Hire Operator and Private Hire Vehicle Policy;

 

(b)       notes that Liberal Democrat Councillors have been contacted by hundreds of people within the taxi and private hire vehicle profession who have voiced their objections to these proposals;

 

(c)        believes that some of the suggested changes to the Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Policy will make the taxi profession unviable for many people;

 

(d)       notes in particular the proposal to change the age of vehicles able to register as private hire vehicles from under 5 years old to under 1 year old and the length of time a vehicle can remain licensed from 9 years to 7 years will make private hire vehicle drivers liable for huge unnecessary costs;

 

(e)       believes the Council should be taking other measures to tackle air pollution such as improving cycle links and public transport to tackle problems with air pollution rather than through an attack on taxi and private hire vehicle drivers; and

 

(f)        therefore calls on the Administration to immediately drop these proposals and go back to the drawing board.

Minutes:

 

Private Hire Operator and Vehicle Policies

 

 

5.1

RESOLVED: On the motion of Councillor Pat Midgley and seconded by Councillor Peter Rippon that, in accordance with Council Procedure Rule 9, the order of business as published on the Council Summons be amended as Notice of Motion 9 had generated significantly increased attendance by members of the public and it was therefore deemed appropriate to take this motion as the next item of business.

 

 

5.2

It was moved by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, seconded by Councillor Ian Auckland, that this Council:-

 

 

 

(a)      notes the consultation currently taking place on the Private Hire Operator and Private Hire Vehicle Policy;

 

(b)      notes that Liberal Democrat Councillors have been contacted by hundreds of people within the taxi and private hire vehicle profession who have voiced their objections to these proposals;

 

(c)      believes that some of the suggested changes to the Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Policy will make the taxi profession unviable for many people;

 

(d)      notes in particular the proposal to change the age of vehicles able to register as private hire vehicles from under 5 years old to under 1 year old and the length of time a vehicle can remain licensed from 9 years to 7 years will make private hire vehicle drivers liable for huge unnecessary costs;

 

(e)      believes the Council should be taking other measures to tackle air pollution such as improving cycle links and public transport to tackle problems with air pollution rather than through an attack on taxi and private hire vehicle drivers; and

 

(f)       therefore calls on the Administration to immediately drop these proposals and go back to the drawing board.

 

 

5.3

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Leigh Bramall seconded by Councillor Nasima Akther, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of paragraphs (b) to (f) and the addition of new paragraphs (b) to (j) as follows:-

 

 

 

(b)       notes that Licensing is a statutory function of the Council, designed to maintain public confidence in trades that require a license to operate, and that Licensing should therefore be operated transparently and correctly, with decisions based on Licensing Policy;

 

(c)       notes the current consultation on draft proposals for a revised set of private hire vehicle standards, and confirms that each member of the cross-party Licensing Committee was given the opportunity to comment on the content of the consultation and whether it should be put to the taxi trade for views, with no objections being raised by any members;

 

(d)       notes that Labour administrations have demonstrated a commitment to listen to previous consultations on Licensing, most recently on the driver standards consultation, with significant changes being made in response to feedback from the taxi trade;

 

(e)       confirms that the relevant Cabinet Member has received representations from Labour Councillors representing their constituents, as well as from the trade unions and trade bodies, around a small number of the proposals in the current consultation, and therefore confirms that, once again, this Administration will listen, and confirms that proposals around vehicle age and permanent company logos have been withdrawn from the consultation altogether, and thanks all those who have fed back their genuinely held views;

 

(f)        also confirms that it believes the current consultation should be completed to assess views on the vast majority of proposals that have not elicited a significant number of responses with a clear view;

 

(g)       confirms that issues around air quality remain important but that they should be addressed via a comprehensive policy which is being developed, requiring a range of measures across the Council and city partners;

 

(h)       deplores the way the Liberal Democrats have used the consultation to seek to gain political advantage, by flag waving in public, despite the Administration being unaware of any Liberal Democrat Councillor on the Licensing Committee objecting to any proposals in the consultation prior to its publication, and furthermore confirms that no Liberal Democrat Councillor has made any contact with the relevant Cabinet Member to represent the trade or public on this issue, in contrast to the trade unions, trade bodies and Labour councillors;

 

(i)        further believes that the Liberal Democrats should be judged by their failure to genuinely attempt to raise the issues of concern with the Cabinet Member, versus the actions of the Liberal Democrats when they were last in power, which included many current Lib Dem Councillors, when they withdrew the cap on the number of taxi operating licenses despite vociferous opposition from the taxi trade and drivers, who clearly stated that it would lead to significant oversupply of taxis thereby drastically reducing the ability of taxi drivers to make a decent and fair living from the trade; and

 

(j)        further notes that it was also the subsequent Labour Administration that listened to the taxi trade and reinstalled a taxi licence cap, and therefore believes it is clear which administration will genuinely work with the taxi trade to deliver a high quality taxi service for the people of Sheffield whilst responding to the legitimate concerns of the taxi trade and drivers.

 

 

5.4

On being put to the vote, the amendment was carried. 

 

 

5.4.1

(NOTE: Councillors Aodan Marken, Robert Murphy and Brian Webster voted for paragraphs (b), (c), (f) and (g) and abstained on paragraphs (d), (e), (h), (i) and (j) of the amendment and asked for this to be recorded.)

 

 

5.5

Whereupon, it was moved by Councillor Cliff Woodcraft, seconded by Councillor Roger Davison, as an amendment, that the Motion now submitted be amended by the deletion of original paragraph (f) and the addition of new paragraphs (f) to (h) as follows:-

 

 

 

(f)        notes that in addition to the age restrictions on licensed vehicles, many within the taxi profession are also concerned about plans for permanent signage, which they fear will lead to their vehicles becoming targets for thefts and vandalism;

 

(g)       notes that this Administration, following feedback and media interest, have suspended these issues from the consultation for the time being; and

 

(h)       calls on the Administration to fully drop these contentious proposals, instead of merely suspending them until after the local elections.

 

 

5.6

On being put to the vote, the amendment was negatived.

 

 

5.7

Following a Right of Reply by Councillor Shaffaq Mohammed, the original Motion, as amended, was then put as a Substantive Motion in the following form and carried:-

 

 

 

RESOLVED: That this Council:-

 

(a)      notes the consultation currently taking place on the Private Hire Operator and Private Hire Vehicle Policy;

 

(b)       notes that Licensing is a statutory function of the Council, designed to maintain public confidence in trades that require a license to operate, and that Licensing should therefore be operated transparently and correctly, with decisions based on Licensing Policy;

 

(c)       notes the current consultation on draft proposals for a revised set of private hire vehicle standards, and confirms that each member of the cross-party Licensing Committee was given the opportunity to comment on the content of the consultation and whether it should be put to the taxi trade for views, with no objections being raised by any members;

 

(d)       notes that Labour administrations have demonstrated a commitment to listen to previous consultations on Licensing, most recently on the driver standards consultation, with significant changes being made in response to feedback from the taxi trade;

 

(e)       confirms that the relevant Cabinet Member has received representations from Labour Councillors representing their constituents, as well as from the trade unions and trade bodies, around a small number of the proposals in the current consultation, and therefore confirms that, once again, this Administration will listen, and confirms that proposals around vehicle age and permanent company logos have been withdrawn from the consultation altogether, and thanks all those who have fed back their genuinely held views;

 

(f)        also confirms that it believes the current consultation should be completed to assess views on the vast majority of proposals that have not elicited a significant number of responses with a clear view;

 

(g)       confirms that issues around air quality remain important but that they should be addressed via a comprehensive policy which is being developed, requiring a range of measures across the Council and city partners;

 

(h)       deplores the way the Liberal Democrats have used the consultation to seek to gain political advantage, by flag waving in public, despite the Administration being unaware of any Liberal Democrat Councillor on the Licensing Committee objecting to any proposals in the consultation prior to its publication, and furthermore confirms that no Liberal Democrat Councillor has made any contact with the relevant Cabinet Member to represent the trade or public on this issue, in contrast to the trade unions, trade bodies and Labour councillors;

 

(i)        further believes that the Liberal Democrats should be judged by their failure to genuinely attempt to raise the issues of concern with the Cabinet Member, versus the actions of the Liberal Democrats when they were last in power, which included many current Lib Dem Councillors, when they withdrew the cap on the number of taxi operating licenses despite vociferous opposition from the taxi trade and drivers, who clearly stated that it would lead to significant oversupply of taxis thereby drastically reducing the ability of taxi drivers to make a decent and fair living from the trade; and

 

(j)       further notes that it was also the subsequent Labour Administration that listened to the taxi trade and reinstalled a taxi licence cap, and therefore believes it is clear which administration will genuinely work with the taxi trade to deliver a high quality taxi service for the people of Sheffield whilst responding to the legitimate concerns of the taxi trade and drivers.

 

 

 

5.8

(Notes 1. Councillors Aodan Marken, Robert Murphy and Brian Webster voted for paragraphs (a), (b), (c), (f) and (g) and abstained on paragraphs (d), (e), (h), (i) and (j) of the substantive motion and asked for this to be recorded.

 

 

2. Councillors Richard Shaw, Rob Frost, Joe Otten, Colin Ross, Martin Smith, Penny Baker, Roger Davison, Shaffaq Mohammed, Sue Alston, Andrew Sangar, Cliff Woodcraft, Ian Auckland, Steve Ayris, Denise Reaney, David Baker, Katie Condliffe and Vickie Priestley voted for paragraph (a) and against paragraphs (b) – (j) of the substantive motion and asked for this to be recorded.

 

 

3. The Lord Mayor (Councillor Talib Hussain) and Councillors Ibrar Hussain and Mohammad Maroof, having declared Disclosable Pecuniary Interests in this item of business, did not speak or vote on this item, and the Deputy Lord Mayor (Councillor Denise Fox) took the Chair for the duration of the item.)