Available Hackney Carriage licences will be allocated in accordance with existing policy and the procedure set out below.
Expressing an interest
No more frequently than once every three months, any Hackney Carriage vehicle licences that have become available will be notified to the existing East Herts licensed trade (both Hackney Carriage and Private Hire) and simultaneously details will be put on the East Herts website to notify the public at large. We will accept expressions of interest for a two-week period after which all the expressions of interest will be scored for that round.
Once a round is closed, no details of those who have expressed an interest will be retained beyond the time needed to assess the applications and make decisions about allocation. The council will not operate a waiting list. When further vehicle licences become available it will be the responsibility of individuals to express an interest for that round.
Scoring system
The following scoring system has been put in place to determine the prioritisation among applicants for allocation of any available Hackney Carriage vehicle licences. This process is to ensure that any vehicles given a new Hackney Carriage vehicle licence are of the highest standard, meet the needs of the travelling public and are the safest vehicles possible.
Criteria
Fully Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV)
YES - 6 points
NO - 0 points
Fully Electric Vehicle (EV)
YES - 4 Points
NO - 0 points
For a diesel or petrol vehicles – EURO 6 emissions standards AND under 5 years old (A fully electric vehicle would score zero points in this category)
YES - 1 point
NO - 0 points
The maximum score available to a vehicle is 10 points for a wheelchair accessible electric vehicle. When perspective proprietors express an interest in obtaining a new Hackney Carriage vehicle licence, they will be asked what type of vehicle they propose to licence and then be scored appropriately. The authority realises that potential proprietors are unlikely to purchase a vehicle without first knowing that they have secured a licence. However, proprietors should carefully consider the type of vehicle they propose to licence as any licence allocated will only be issued for the type of vehicle initially proposed. Failure to produce an appropriate vehicle is likely to result in the licence being reallocated.
Allocation after scoring
Once the scoring process is complete, the available vehicle licences will be allocated to the highest scoring vehicles first. If we are oversubscribed (more vehicles with the same points total than available vehicle licences) there will be a random draw for who gets a licence.
For example, if there are 10 Hackney Carriage vehicle licences available but 13 vehicles all score maximum points then not every vehicle can be allocated a licence. Therefore, a random draw is necessary.
Where a draw is necessary to allocate plates, all those in the draw will be notified and given a number to be placed in the draw. The draw will be carried out by council officers and those in the draw will be invited to view the draw to ensure fairness (whether in person or virtually).
What happens if you are allocated a vehicle licence?
Once a licence is allocated to a particular applicant they will be notified in writing and have a set time in which to apply for and have that licence granted:
- Where an individual already holds a Dual Driver’s licence with us they will have one month from written notification to licence an appropriate vehicle.
- Where an individual already holds a Private Hire Driver’s licence with us they will have two months from written notification to licence an appropriate vehicle. (This allows time to convert to the appropriate driver's licence)
- People who don’t hold a licence or licences with East Herts Council will have three months from written notification of being allocated a vehicle licence to licence an appropriate vehicle. (This allows time to also obtain the appropriate driver's licence)
Application process
The normal process for applying for a vehicle licence, and a driver’s licence, will now be followed. Details of this process and the requirements can be found on the council’s website: https://www.eastherts.gov.uk/licences-and-registration/taxi-licensing
Failure to present a suitable vehicle
Failure to present a vehicle as described, of a suitable standard, or in time, will result in the plate being reallocated. Vehicles and vehicle proprietors are required to meet all the standards and conditions in place at the time of application and the most up-to-date information can be found on the Vehicle Requirements for Taxis webpage and in the Taxi & Private Hire Handbook available on the website.
Two failures from the implementation of this process to present a suitable vehicle, over any length of time, will result in the individual not being eligible to express an interest in a licence or be included in any round for a period of 12 months starting from the date of the second failure.
Vehicle testing
All vehicles will be inspected by a council officer at the proprietor’s expense and be subject to a Vehicle Condition Certificate (VCC) and an MOT test. If any of these requirements is not met, then the licence will be reallocated. Potential vehicle proprietors should satisfy themselves prior to attending an inspection that their vehicle meets or exceeds all the required standards.
Process for reallocation
Any licence to be reallocated will either go to the next highest scoring vehicle from that round (where there is only one such applicant) or by random draw (where there are two or more applicants with the same total points). The person who failed to present an appropriate vehicle will not be included in any further draws for that round but can be included in subsequent rounds subject to the terms of the ‘Failure to present a suitable vehicle’ section above.
Summary of process
The process for each round is:
- round opens for two weeks
- expressions of interest received
- scoring
- allocation
- application made
- application decided
- reallocation if necessary.
Appeals
The only element of this process that has a route of appeal is when the application is determined. If an application is refused, there is a right of appeal to court. In these circumstances individuals will be notified of their rights and how to exercise them.