Agenda item

Dakota Ferrara introduced his report and made the following points:

·       DLTD applied for the grant of a Private Hire Driver (PHD) Licence on 9 May 2022. He had previously held a PHD licence from 2006 to 2010 to a number of offences which are now outside the scope of our Policy

·       DLTD has requested an exemption from the Council’s private hire knowledge

test and gold standard training course

The Sub-Committee was advised by the Licensing Policy Adviser that

·       The  Gold Standard could not yet be provided as the previous provider of the course was no longer arranging it. It was likely that this course would be replaced in future by a 1 day disability course

·       If  the Sub-Committee was minded to grant the application, it was recommended that there should also be a condition that the licence holder should complete any replacement course within 1 year of application

·       The Sub-Committee would also need to consider the issue of the knowledge course which had been temporarily unavailable to be booked recently but was now available again

·       It would also be essential for DLTD to pass a safeguarding course as was required for all Private Hire Driver Licence holders

DLTD made the following points to the Sub-Committee:

·       He had lost his driving licence years ago due to some bad behaviour in the past

·       Since 2011 he had a driving licence and had worked as a First Bus driver in Hengrove – first full time and then on an agency basis due to the number of hours he was working full time and the impact it had on his family life

·       He was now driving buses in Bath which was a much better work/life balance.

·       He had 4 small kids. Working as a taxi driver gives me flexibility to provide for my children but also allows my life to work

·        He worked for Yellow Cabs in Bedminster for 18 years but had to leave as they asked me to work for them 7 days a week. He had a good knowledge of Bristol from my experience in my previous work.

·       He has been advised the knowledge test was not in place when he had previously applied. He wanted to take a local test in Bristol rather than go to South Gloucestershire

The Sub-Committee were advised by the Licensing Policy Adviser that, following the recommencement of the knowledge tests, it was possible there might be a place available as soon as today.

Councillor Richard Eddy asked both parties to withdraw to allow the Sub-Committee to make its deliberations.

Upon their return, he announced the Sub-Committee’s decision as follows:

RESOLVED - That DLTD could be treated as an exception to Council policy and be exempted from taking the knowledge test AND that DLTD be granted a private hire driver’s licence subject to additional conditions that:

i.                    within a year of a test being introduced to replace the Gold Standard test DLTD will be required to successfully complete it.

ii.           within 6 months of the licence being granted DLTD will be required to successfully complete safeguarding training

Reasons:  DLTD had demonstrated to the Committee that he possessed an excellent knowledge of the city and he had a number of years’ experience of working in the private hire trade. He had therefore satisfied the Committee that he was a fit and proper person to hold a private hire driver’s licence and could be treated as an exception to Council policy.