Please find below the Agenda and associated documents for the next Licensing Committee Meeting, including a list of the bad boys who are no longer licensed(not included in that are those drivers currently too poorly to be licensed).
1. Apologies
2. Suicide Prevention
3. Minutes from last meeting
Draft Taxi Forum Minutes 20/07/2016
4. Traffic Management, Ranks, Brighton Station
5. Sussex Police
6. Fares (GMB)
7. DVSA
8. Dft Draft Best Practice Guidance
9. Enforcement
10. Items for next Meeting
11. Date of next meeting
Thursday 16th February 2017
10.00am Room G91, Hove Town Hall. (Reception Entrance not Customer Service Reception)
Should any B&H licensed driver wish to put forward any ideas or concerns, relating to the above agenda and/or previous forum minutes, could they please contact the PH Ass via the contact details in the top right corner of the site, or via the usual suspects.
Source: Brighton and Hove Independant
A quick-thinking taxi driver helped a police officer in Hove catch a suspected criminal. Now, the officer involved wants to thank the taxi driver, as he didn’t have time to get his details.
Police said at around 11.30pm on July 29, officers stopped a vehicle in Cowper Street after police suspected drugs may be being transported inside it. While one officer detained one suspect in the vehicle, the other suspect ran from police.
Sergeant Andy Newman chased the quick-footed suspect and was soon assisted by a taxi driver and his passenger who gave him a lift. The taxi driver drove the officer to the end of Rutland Road, when Sgt Newman directed the driver to stop and then managed to detain the suspect. The driver and passenger then checked the officer was okay before going on their way.
While awaiting for his colleagues to arrive at the scene another member of the public also stopped and asked him if he required any assistance. Sgt Newman said: “I was on my own with a suspect so I was gutted that I didn’t get a chance to get the details of those who assisted me as I would like to thank them for their actions.
It is fantastic to know that we have support from the public.” Officers found a large quantity of cocaine during the search. A 31-year-old man from Hove was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to supply cocaine, supplying cocaine, possession of criminal property and being carried in a motor vehicle without the owner’s consent and a 62-year-old Portslade man was arrested on suspicion of possession of cocaine and possession with intent to supply cocaine.
They have been released on bail until October 11. If you were the taxi driver or passenger involved, get in touch with police by emailing 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or ring 101 quoting serial 1709 of 29/07.
Pretty sure they told the Licensing Committee that they would only use B&H taxi/PH in B&H.
Please find below minutes of the last forum.
1. Apologies
2. Minutes from last meeting
DRAFT Taxi Forum Minutes 14.04.2016
3. Safe Space
4. Traffic Management, Ranks, Brighton Station
5. Hollingbury Terrace Rank
6. Ship Street
7. Sussex Police
8. Guidedogs.org
9. Age.uk
10. Catstream Training (Streamline)
11. Fares (GMB)
12. Forum Terms of Reference (Streamline)
13. Customer Service Centre –processing forms, incl. Renewals
14. Enforcement
15. Items for next Meeting
16. Date of next meeting
Wednesday 26th October 2016 – Venue TBC
Should any B&H licensed driver wish to put forward any ideas or concerns, relating to the above agenda and/or previous forum minutes, could they please contact the PH Ass via the contact details in the top right corner of the site, or via the usual suspects.
A MAN is on the run having committed an armed robbery from the back of a taxi.
At around 12.50am on Monday the man, pictured, got into the back of a taxi on the Old Steine, Brighton.
He asked the driver to take him to Abbey Road but during the journey directed him to Sudeley Place where the taxi stopped.
On asking for the fare, the man reached forward from the back passenger seat and grabbed at the driver’s money bag with one hand and held a knife to his face with the other.
The driver tried to push the man’s hands away but he managed to grab the money bag containing £80 to 90 and ran away from the taxi.
Detective constable Paul Ash said: “The suspect is described as white with a local accent, in his early 20s, around 5ft 10in in height and of an average build.
“He had a long thin face with dark short hair and a large scab on his right eyebrow.
“This was an extremely serious and violent attack on an innocent member of the public trying to go about their job.
“It was a very scary attack on the taxi driver who was clearly shaken by what happened, but thankfully uninjured.
“We are urging anyone who recognises this man to contact police or if they can offer any information on what happened.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk quoting serial 34 of April 18.
Alternatively, you can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or via crimestoppers-uk.org
Dear Driver
Re: Immigration Task Force
We are writing collectively to all drivers of Brighton & Hove Streamline, Southern Taxis and Brighton & Hove Radio Cabs on the matter affecting us all and requiring your immediate action. We anticipate that you will already be aware from the media (the Argus, Brighton & Hove News, South Today and Meridian) of the actions being taken by the Immigration Task Force for Kent and Sussex and who have contacted each of the circuit operators. As a result, each of the companies must undertake an immediate audit and verification of the identification documentation provided for all Private Hire and Hackney Licensed drivers on their circuit, including their Journeymen, whether you are a regular or occasional driver and even if you just maintain such a license for a “rainy day” and do not currently drive.
Although to date we have required from you various forms of identification documentation in addition to the production of your UK Driving License, Council License, together with a copy of your insurance and MOT (where applicable), the Immigration Service consider that we need to keep and maintain more detailed records on your behalf. We are now required for you to produce to us straightaway identification documentation as though you are an employee of the “circuits”. Whilst you are clearly not an “employee” of the circuit and we disagree with the Immigration Service as to such requirements, the risk of failing to comply would result in very substantial financial penalties being imposed and which would of course be to the detriment of as all! Furthermore, if you do have Journeymen drive your vehicle, (whether your vehicle is a “Hackney” or “Private Hire”) the Immigration Service could consider you, like us as operators, to be as though you are an “employer” and you may be well advised to maintain the records now required by us for those Journeymen as well as ensuring we have those details. A copy of this letter is being sent to all Journeymen whose details are known to us at the same time as writing to all owners/drivers of “Hackney” and Private Hire vehicles, and so that none of us can fall foul of these requirements of the Immigration Service.
We think you will have appreciated the seriousness with which we as operators take the action of the Immigration Service and of their requirements and the urgency with which there must be compliance. In the circumstances, we have no alternative but to require you and your Journeymen to do likewise and when next coming to each of our offices to pay your subs. If you are paying us by way of direct debit, you still need to come to the office. We need everyone to do so but anyone who fails to do so by 1st April 2016 will face the computer being switched off and if you were paying your subs by way of direct debit the mandate will be cancelled. If we have already been notified of a current holiday commitment or indeed sickness, we will of course extend the deadline to try to accommodate.
The documents that we need you to produce to your “circuit” office are the originals from the attached lists marked “A” or “B”. If in doubt bring with you all documents, you have in both lists “A” and “B”.
We would thank you in anticipation of your understanding and co-operation.
Dear all
We write further to receipt of a complaint from a member of the public regarding licensed vehicles leaving their engines running, particularly on the East St rank.
There are no specific plate numbers mentioned in the complaint, and so this is just a reminder for all drivers to ensure that if they are waiting on a rank that their engines are switched off until they have cause to move forwards.
Clearly, the East St rank can move very quickly at certain times of the day/week, but please use good judgement. If it is clear you will not be immediately moving forward, please switch your engine off. This not only helps with emissions but also with noise disturbance.
All vehicles should now be displaying the “engine off” transfers on the rear. If there are any vehicles which we have missed, please contact us so that these can be affixed.
Many thanks for your time and co-operation,
Hackney Carriage Office.
Becca McMenamin – Licensing Enforcement Officer
Brighton and Hove Private Hire Association 