Summary
This page, and associated linked pages, is intended to provide the public, who may hire or book a taxi, with brief details and guidance about how to make a few simple checks to discover if the operator, vehicle and driver are correctly licensed before embarking on a journey.
Staying Safe when using Taxis ‘page 1’ |
Staying Safe when using Taxis ‘page 2’ |
Staying Safe when using Taxis ‘page 3’ |
Staying Safe when using Taxis 'page 4'
How Many Passengers Can A Licensed Vehicle Carry?
Adult and Child Passengers Must Buckle Up!
Attachment
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Have a Safe Journey!
We are asking the public to be more aware of safety issues when travelling in public vehicles and, for your own safety when embarking on a journey, to check that vehicles and drivers are correctly licensed and therefore, you and they are properly insured to carry passengers and that you can be sure you are safe to embark and carry-out your journey.
Keep Yourself Safe!
If you suspect or notice anything that may be bogus or amiss, you are advised to contact us on telephone number 0116 257 2708 or the local Police on telephone number 0116 222 2222 and make a report.
We Check so that You May Travel Safely!
We put great importance in making sure that ‘Private Hire Operators’, ‘Private Hire Vehicles’, ‘Hackney Carriages’ and ‘Drivers’ have been properly tested and are well regulated to meet all the relevant stringent suitability and safety standards before the Council issues a licence.
These standards must be attained, are set out by us and are designed to give you a degree of protection.
Licensing Standards in Brief!
Private Hire Operator
Those prospective operators who may apply to us for the grant of a new Private Hire Operators licence and for those may who apply to renew their existing Operators licence must provide specific information together with their application to enable us to make checks and be satisfied that they are ‘fit and proper’ to hold a licence.
Operators must be licensed to enable them to invite or accept your booking to undertake a private hire journey.
Operators can only provide a ‘licensed vehicle’, to fulfil the booking, with a capacity to carry no more than 8 passengers with a ‘licensed driver’, whose insurance cover includes the vehicle to be used for hire and reward.
Only an individual person can hold a Private Hire Operators licence and this person will be expected to be in day-to-day control of the business and will be held personally responsible for complying with all conditions of their licence.
We will seek information and make checks until they are satisfied that each individual, who may apply for a new Operator Licence or to renew their existing licence, is deemed to be a ‘fit and proper person’.
Private Hire Operator Register
To check the details of a Private Hire Operator and to discover if they are currently licensed by us, please click the following link.
Private Hire Vehicles and Hackney Carriages
Those who may apply to us for the grant of a new Private Hire Vehicle licence or a Hackney Carriage licence and for those may who apply to renew their existing vehicle licence must provide us with a favourable vehicle inspection report that has been issued by a qualified engineer at one of the vehicle test centres which are approved and authorised by us.
This licensed vehicle inspection is designed to check all aspects of vehicle safety to a level that is over and above that which is a standard MOT inspection. Vehicles must take and pass this licensed vehicle inspection test at least twice a year to be able to remain licensed.
It is expected that drivers will keep their vehicles maintained and clean to a prescribed fashion at all times. In addition the vehicle must be appropriately and currently insured in respect of the driver and the type of vehicle licence applied for.
Private Hire Vehicle and Hackney Carriage Drivers
The process for all drivers who may apply to us for the grant of new licence to drive a Hackney Carriage or a Private Hire Vehicle and for those who may apply to renew their existing drivers licence is set out by us so it can properly determine if each applicant is a ‘fit and proper person’ to become or remain a licensed driver.
We issue a ‘Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence’ to those who pass various tests and checks set out by us. The tests and checks are in place to help us determine that all licensed driver applicants are ‘fit and proper’. This is because, it is expected that, from time-to-time, those who are granted a licence to drive a Hackney Carriage or a Private Hire Vehicle may, in the normal conduct of their business, be in close contact with passengers which may be vulnerable or infirm.
All first time applicants seeking a ‘Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence’ are currently subject to a number of different tests and checks. Some of these checks are also required upon receipt of a renewal application which may be made for an existing ‘Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence’.
These tests and checks include:-
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To take and pass a specialist licensed vehicle driving test overseen by the Driver Standards Agency
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Be subject to a medical check that must be carried out by a registered medical practitioner against a check form that we have approved and proveded for the purpose
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Be subject to a criminal background check by means of applying for an Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure
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Be subject to a background check into the applicants driving record by means of an enquiry to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
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To provide the details of at least two individuals who will furnish a reference as to the ‘good character’ of the applicant
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To sit a competency examination where the applicant must answer correctly a predetermined number of set questions which are designed to test the applicants knowledge, skill and ability in respect of verbal understanding and communication; reading; map reading and knowledge of the location and route to reach some popular venues both locally and nationwide.
REMEMBER!
If a vehicle does not display a licence plate, or a driver his drivers licence badge, then they are not licensed, have not been vetted for safety purposes and are not insured for your journey.
Help to protect yourself and others. Play your part in ensuring that unauthorised drivers and vehicles are not used.
Please contact the Council’s Licensing Section or the local Police if you have any issues relating to licensed or un-licensed Operators, Vehicles or Drivers.
If you have any reason to doubt whether the operator, vehicle or driver that you have used or propose to use is properly licensed, please contact:
The Council’s Licensing Team on 0116 257 2708
or email licensing@oadby-wigston.gov.uk|
Alternatively contact the local Police on 0116 222 2222