www.lphca.co.uk | lphca@btinternet.com | @LPHCA Private Hire News | issue 68 | Winter 2014/15 | 37

De-regulation Bill The LPHCA was dismayed but not surprised to see attempts to remove three positive clauses from the De-regulation Bill currently travelling through Parliament.Regrettably one of the clauses has been removed (put on hold) but the Government has stood firm on the others.The LPHCA was involved in a lot of Political activity to preserve measures that have worked well in London for over 10 years, which increase safety, choice and supply of Licensed Private Hire Vehicles, in particular for disabled passengers.Below we have printed a letter we sent to Baroness Kramer Minister of State for Transport during our efforts to protect these sensible measures.

We are naturally saddened that a measure to help PHV Drivers that has worked well in London for over 10 years has been delayed but pleased that the other two clauses remain intact.As well as helping drivers this measure would also help operators, hirers of vehicles to the industry and motor mechanics to go about their day to day work in a much more effective manner.We are shocked that Trade Unions, who are allegedly representing the interests of drivers and their families, are amongst those who opposed in some cases helping their own members.Some of the safety scaremongering by certain parties was quite shameful and we have yet to see or hear of a good specific case for preventing drivers vehicles being used by their families for social usage.

Dear Minister,

We understand that there is considerable lobbying to remove the 3 clauses (9, 10 & 11) from the De-regulation Bill. These clauses will modernize and radically improve Taxi & PHV licensing outside of London and I know that you spoke to my colleague, Robin Hulf, in Glasgow at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference on the issue.

These clauses will also improve safety, give better choices to the travelling public, reduce unnecessary bureaucracy, save the industry a great deal of money and have a positive environmental effect. Most importantly they would also improve choice and availability for disabled passengers. As you will be aware the Law Commission, following three years intensive study of the industry, included these clauses in their draft Taxi and Private Hire Bill.

As your colleague Norman Baker outlined many times and your predecessor Stephen Hammond set out in the recent Westminster Hall Debate, there are only positive outcomes to be achieved by the clauses remaining in the Bill.

We understand that the Rotherham scandal has been cited, alongside other false safety fears, as reasons not to proceed with these clauses. However I would point out that the serious problems in Rotherham took place in an area where these clauses do not yet apply, so it is disingenuous to imply that the situation there is a reason to remove the clauses.

In London where I have campaigned for judicious licensing and safety for most of my working life, we have had subcontracting, 3 year license durations and no restrictions as to who may use a licensed vehicle. Senior Management at TfL have made it clear that there has not been a single serious issue with these measures, since the passing of the 1998 Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act, in fact they say the benefits far outweigh any perceived downsides.

For this and many other reasons I most strongly urge the Department and the Government not to be deflected from its positive intention to introduce the 3 clauses.

I would welcome an opportunity to call on you as you suggested to my colleague, Robin Hulf during the Glasgow meeting. Perhaps I can be in touch with your office shortly.

Steve Wright MBE Chairman LPHCA

Dear Mr Wright

Thank you for your letter, about the Deregulation Bill taxi and PHV clauses.

As you are aware, the three taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) measures added to the Deregulation Bill were:

(i) Allowing anyone with an ordinary driving licence to drive a private hire vehicle when it is ‘off-duty’. The principal benefit of this measure is that a PHV could be used as a family car, freeing up many families from the need to run a second car and saving them money.

(ii) Making the standard duration for all taxi and PHV driver licences three years, and five years for all PHV operator licences. Shorter durations will only be granted on a case by case basis, where it is justifiable for a particular reason. This will reduce the financial and administrative burden of having to make more frequent licence renewals.

(iii) Allowing private hire operators to sub-contract bookings to operators licensed in a different district. This change will improve operators’ ability to meet passengers’ needs. It will also help to make the passenger’s experience so much more convenient.

After listening to concerns during the passage of the Deregulation Bill about the proposal to allow ‘off duty’ use of private hire vehicles, the Government has concluded that a better course of action would be for this measure to be considered as part of the package of measures recommended by the Law Commission. Accordingly, the Government will not now be pursuing this measure in the Deregulation Bill.

The two remaining clauses continue to be included in the Deregulation Bill.

BARONESS KRAMER

Baroness Kramer’s Response