Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy

All enforcement of private hire and hackney carriage vehicle/driver and/or private hire operator licences will be carried out in accordance with the council’s adopted Licensing Enforcement Policy (Appendix 6) and the council’s Enforcement Policy (PDF, 105 KB). Enforcement may be carried out in conjunction with other authorised bodies, such as DVSA and Thames Valley Police. Where appropriate, officers from neighbouring authorities may also be authorised to carry out taxi and private hire enforcement within the council area and officers from the council’s Licensing Service may be likewise authorised in other areas.

The Licensing Service will aim to undertake enforcement fairly, providing advice where appropriate to ensure that operators, drivers and proprietors fully understand the relevant legislation and conditions.

Any enforcement action carried out will be proportionate and reasonable and will aim to treat all licensees fairly and consistently.

Complaints received and warnings issued in relation to licence holders will generally be held on file and taken into consideration during the period of any licence or application or where there is a break in licence history.

Informal interviews with licence holders and or applicants will generally be recorded on disk or tape to ensure that there is an accurate record of the meeting.