Consultation launched on proposed new licensing rules for taxis in Buckinghamshire

A public consultation has been launched on proposed new rules for taxi licensing in Buckinghamshire.

The consultation, which runs from Tuesday 10th November 2020 to Monday 21st December 2020, has been launched by Buckinghamshire Council who are asking people who use or drive taxis or mini cabs to comment on proposed new rules which it will bring in during 2021.

The Council has drafted a taxi licensing policy which sets out how the council proposes to regulate taxis and mini cabs across Buckinghamshire. The new licensing policy has been drafted based on national legislation and on local public feedback from a survey which was run earlier in 2020.

Over 500 people gave their comments and feedback in a four week survey which the council ran in September 2020. Using comments from the survey and working within national guidelines, the Council’s Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy aims to:

• Protect the public.
• Maintain and develop professional and respected hackney carriage and private hire trades.
• Enable access to an efficient and effective local transport service.
• Update the policy to reflect current best practice.

A summary of the policy and the full draft document is available online. You can comment on the draft licensing policy online until Monday 21st December 2020 at https://yourvoicebucks.citizenspace.com/communities/taxi-licensing-consultation/ or by phoning 01494 421222 to request a paper copy.

Fred Wilson, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services at Buckinghamshire Council, said: ‘We know that the policy we put in place will affect a lot of people in many different ways.

Every day hundreds of people use taxis and mini cabs to get to or from work, for shopping and getting to and from school or for pleasure and over three thousand people earn their living through driving taxis or mini cabs.

Now’s the chance for those people to have their say in helping us to finalise the licensing framework we will put into place next year.‘

The new policy aims to balance the needs of taxi passengers as well as the needs of local taxi operators and drivers.

*Source of article : Press release from Buckinghamshire Council.