Licensing and Registration Panel

Wednesday 9 August  2006 at 3.30 pm

Present:  Councillors Gallacher, McCormick (M), McKenzie, Moran, Nimmo and Tucker.

Chair:  Councillor Gallacher presided.

In attendance:  Mr G Douglas (for Solicitor to the Council).

Apologies for absence:   Councillor Snoddy.

The following paragraphs are submitted for information only, having been dealt with under the powers delegated to the Panel.

502

Application for Taxi Licence: William Mutter Trading as Impact Holdings

502

There was submitted a report dated 4 July 2006 by the Solicitor to the Council advising that Mr Mutter had omitted to make timeous application for his licence to be renewed before it expired but it had been dealt with using the procedure for the exercise of powers delegated to the Chief Executive for use between Committees and it had been agreed to authorise the grant of a taxi licence to Mr Mutter.

Noted

(Councillor McKenzie entered the meeting at this point).

503

Taxi Fares Review

503

There was submitted a report by the Solicitor to the Council advising of the outcome of the informal consultation process for the annual review of taxi fares, namely proposals submitted by Lower Clyde Taxi Owners Association with comments from Officers on those proposals.   The Panel heard Mr Douglas who summarised the contents of the report and the relative correspondence.  

The meeting was then adjourned at 3.40 pm for discussion and resumed at 4.00 pm.   

Decided:  that for the purposes of public consultation, the Council’s proposals for the review of taxi fares be as follows:-

(1)   to standardise the changeover time for tariffs at 11 pm;

(2)   the soiling charge to be increased to a maximum £50;

(3)   an increase of 20p on all initial charges (“flag drops”),  and separately, a 2% increase across all tariffs to be achieved by a 2% reduction in the yardage; and

(4)   waiting time to be increased to 20p for each period of 31 seconds or part thereof.

It was agreed in terms of Section 50(A)(4) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 as amended that the public and press be excluded from the meeting during consideration of the following items of business on the grounds that the business involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in Paragraph 6 of Part I of Schedule 7(A) of the Act.

504

Application for Taxi Driver’s Licence: James A Mitchell

504

There was submitted a report dated 18 July 2006 by the Solicitor to the Council on an application for a taxi driver’s licence by Mr James A Mitchell following an adverse report from the Council’s Medical Adviser.   The Panel heard Mr Douglas for the Solicitor to the Council.

Decided:  that the application be continued to the next meeting of the Panel to allow a further medical examination of Mr Mitchell by the Council’s Medical Adviser and that delegated powers be granted to the Solicitor to the Council to determine the application in the event of a favourable medical report being received.

505

Request for Suspension of Taxi Driver’s Licence: James A Mitchell

505

There was submitted a report dated 4 July 2006 by the Solicitor to the Council requesting the suspension of Mr Mitchell’s taxi driver’s licence following an adverse report by the Council’s Medical Adviser.   The Panel heard Mr Douglas for the Solicitor to the Council.

Decided:  that the licence be suspended immediately for the period to the next meeting of the Panel pending the result of Mr Mitchell’s further medical examination by the Council’s Medical Adviser and that delegated powers be granted to the Solicitor to the Council to withdraw the suspension in the event of a favourable medical report being received.