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Hackney carriage and private hire policy - Appendix A - Application procedure

  1. Licensing Policy
  2. Appendix A - Application procedure
  3. Appendix B - Disclosure & barring service
  4. Appendix C - Guidance for applicants with periods of residency outside the UK
  5. Appendix D - Statutory Declaration Format
  6. Appendix E - Conviction and Fitness Policy
  7. Appendix One - Major Traffic Offences
  8. Appendix Two - Minor Traffic Offences
  9. Appendix Three - Hybrid Traffic Offences
  10. Appendix F - Equality Act 2010 Guidance
  11. Appendix G - Combined Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Conditions
  12. Appendix H - Proof of Entitlement to work in the UK
  13. Appendix I - Code of conduct working with vulnerable passengers
  1. Appendix J - Vehicle application procedure
  2. Appendix K - Supplementary Testing Manual
  3. Appendix L - Exceptional Condition Definition
  4. Appendix M - Vehicle Specifications
  5. Appendix N - Private Hire Vehicle Licence Conditions
  6. Appendix O - Hackney Carriage Vehicle Conditions
  7. Appendix P - Special Events Vehicle Licence Conditions
  8. Appendix Q - Accident Reporting Form
  9. Appendix R - Location of Hackney Carriage Ranks
  10. Appendix S - Penalty Points System
  11. Appendix T - Private Hire Operators Application Process
  12. Appendix U - Private Hire Operators Conditions
  13. Appendix V – Use of the NR3 Database

Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Drivers Application procedure

Bassetlaw District Council (“the Council”) will only issue licences to those applicants that it considers to be ‘fit and proper’ to hold a licence.

There is no statutory definition of what constitutes a ‘fit and proper’ person, however the Council will take a number of factors into account, and set specific criteria for applicants, when considering a licence application. These factors and criteria are detailed below:

  1. Applications will only be accepted from Applicants that have held a full driving licence for at least one year and are at least 18 years of age. The driving licence must have been issued in the UK, the European Community (EC) or one of the other countries in the European Economic Area (EEA). Applicants that hold full EC or EEA licences for at least one year will have the length of time that they have held such licences taken into consideration, however holders of these licences will only be issued with a licence for 12 months – the licence will not be renewed unless the EC or EEA licence is exchanged for a full UK licence (as required by national legislation).
  2. Applicants will be required to obtain an Enhanced Disclosure Certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service. The contents of this certificate will be assessed in accordance with the council’s policy on convictions in determining the fit and properness of the applicant.
  3. Licences will not be granted unless the applicant is able to provide at least five years UK address history except in the following cases:
    1. The applicant is able to provide a document from an EU member state, which is the equivalent of a UK issued Enhanced DBS Certificate
    2. If this cannot be provided then an official document provided by the embassy of a non-EU member state will be acceptable, provided that the document can be verified and is comparable to a UK issued Enhanced DBS Certificate.
      In either of the cases above, the onus is on the applicant to obtain such a document, and the applicant remains liable for all associated costs. 
  4. Before an application will be accepted the Applicant must attend and pass the Councils' knowledge test. A fee will be payable by the applicant prior to taking the test. If the applicant fails, the test they must wait  one calendar month before retaking the test. The Applicant can sit the Knowledge test a maximum of three times. If the Applicant fails the Knowledge Test three times they have to wait 12 calendar months (from the date they sat their last attempt at passing the Knowledge Test) before they can re-apply for a Driver's Licence.
  5. Applicants are required to satisfactorily complete a taxi driver driving test with the Councils specified tester. Details of the test will be provided to the applicant by the Council. Applicants who can provide a valid Driver Certificate of Professional Competence Card with their application are to be exempt from providing proof that they have completed and passed the take a practical Taxi Driving Test.
  6. All applicants must agree to the Council verifying their DVLA driving licence, and will require the applicant to give their consent to such a check being carried out. These checks will be carried out on an annual basis. The cost of these checks will be paid by the applicant.
  7. Details of two referees 

    One of which should be the applicant’s current or last employer and one from the list of acceptable professional persons below and should not be related/family friend to the applicant:

     

    Bank or Building Society Official
    Police Officer
    Civil Servant
    Minister of a recognised religion
    Teacher/Lecturer
    Accountant
    Solicitor
    Barrister
    Engineer (with professional qualifications)
    Chairman/Director of a Limited Company
    Chemist
    Commissioner for Oaths
    Councillor - Local or County
    Dentist
    Director/Manager of a VAT registered Charity
    Director/Manager/Personnel Officer of a VAT registered Company
    Approved Driving Instructor
    Fire Service official
    Funeral Director
    Journalist
    Justice of the Peace
    Nurse (RN, SEN or holder of a BA in nursing)
    Optician
    Paralegal (Certified or Qualified Paralegals and Associate Members of the Institute of
    Paralegals)
    Person with honours (e.g. OBE, MBE etc)
    President/Secretary of a recognised organisation
    Surveyor
    Valuers and Auctioneers (Fellow and Associate members of the incorporated society)
    Social worker
    Chiropodist
    Member of Parliament

     

  8. Applicants are required to undergo a medical which meets “Group 2” standards with the current medical provider as designated by the Council. The Council must be satisfied that the applicant meets the “Group 2” standards. A medical to Group 2 standards will be required on first application and then every five years from the age of 45. On reaching the age of 65 a medical will be required annually. The Council may also request a medical at any other time it feels may be necessary to ascertain a persons’ fitness to drive a licensed vehicle. Medical Certificates will ONLY be accepted from the Councils specified medical provider(s). Details of which are available from the Licensing Department.

    The applicant is required to make an appointment for their medical examination. This is to ensure that the appointment time is convenient to them.

    Cancellations at short notice will incur a charge to the Applicant.

    The applicant should contact the Council to obtain the forms which they may be required to complete before the appointment and which they need to have completed by the doctor at the appointment.

  9. Applicants will be required to participate in the Safeguarding Vulnerable Person Training before a licence is granted. Training MUST be undertaken by the Councils named provider.
  10. Before submitting the application Applicants should have passed the knowledge test. 
  11. Applications should be made on the appropriate form(s), and should include the following:
    1. Two colour passport standard photographs, which is a good likeness of the applicant
    2. DVLA driving licence & photo-card
    3. Enhanced DBS certificate
    4. Proof that the applicant is legally permitted to work in the UK - a licence will not be issued for a period longer than that period the applicant is permitted to work.
    5. The correct fees (non-refundable)
    6. Nottinghamshire Safeguarding Vulnerable Persons Training Pass Certificate
    7. Medical Certificate (through the Councils preferred third party provider)
    8. A certificate of good conduct and statutory declaration (if required)
    9. Any other documents which an Officer of the Council has requested to progress the application.
    10. 2 satisfactory references
  12. The Council will only consider an application when it has received all relevant documentation.
  13. In certain cases, applications may need to be referred to the Licensing committee. In these cases, the Licensing committee will make a decision on the application. 
  14. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure a renewal applicant is made prior to the expiry of an existing licence. If a holder of a Licence fails to make and complete the renewal process before the expiry date of the current licence a new licence will not be issued by the Department in the interim. A new/renewal Driver's Licence will only be issued once all checks have been completed to ascertain that the Licence holder is a Fit and Proper Person to hold a Driver's Licence (this includes any referrals which may need to be made to the Licensing Committee). If an Applicant fails to renew their licence within one month from the date of expiry (of the old licence) they will be treated as a new driver and will be required to submit an application on this basis before a licence will be issued.

 

 

Last Updated on Monday, June 10, 2024