Issue - meetings

This report presents the results from the consultation on amending the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy to include a mandatory condition for all licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles to have a functioning cashless payment facility available for fare paying passengers.

The Council is requested to approve the relevant policy change.

Background:

The report set out the results from the consultation on amending the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy to include a mandatory condition for all licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles to have a functioning cashless payment facility available for fare paying passengers.

The report had previously been considered by the Licensing and Safety Committee on 23 August 2023, which recommended the policy change to Full Council for approval.

The minutes of the discussion at Licensing and Safety Committee were set out at section 7 of the report.

Councillor McDonald, supported by Councillor Fearn, proposed the recommendations set out in the report.

Decision:

The Council approved the inclusion of the following requirement in the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy:

“Card Payment Machines

All licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers must provide a card payment facility in accordance with the Guidance for Electronic Payment Devices.”

This report sets out the results from the consultation on amending the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy to include a mandatory condition for all licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles to have a functioning cashless payment facility available for fare paying passengers. The Committee is asked to determine whether to recommend the policy change to Full Council for approval.

Discussion:

The Committee invited the Chairman of Medway Licensed Taxi Driver Association to join the meeting to contribute to the discussion on contactless payment facilities in Taxis.

It was suggested that consideration relating to a review of tariffs should be deferred as it was not linked to contactless payment facilities and therefore the tariff review should be discussed as a separate issue at a later meeting.

The Licensing Manager informed the Committee of the results from the consultation on amending the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy to include a mandatory condition for all licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles to have a functioning cashless payment facility available for fare paying passengers.

The Committee discussed connectivity issues and set up costs and were pleased to note the support the Medway Licensed Taxi Driver Association planned to offer to drivers if the proposal was approved and implemented.

The Chairman of Medway Licensed Taxi Driver Association confirmed that the support in setting up contactless payment facilities would be advertised and made available to any licensed taxi driver in Medway.

The Committee noted that if contactless payment facilities in taxis were approved, there would be opportunities to publicise this facility to the public.

Decision:

1.     The Committee agreed to recommend to Full Council for approval the inclusion of the following requirement in the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy:

Card Payment Machines – All licensed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers must provide a card payment facility in accordance with the Guidance for Electronic Payment Devices.

2.    The Committee agreed that the recommendation to authorise officers to implement a review of tariffs in liaison with Medway Licensed Taxi Driver Association be deferred and considered separately by the Committee at a later date.