General Information
Taxi Drivers - Hackney Carriage & Private Hire
Under the law, a council must satisfy itself that all applicants for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licences are 'fit and proper persons'.
The council has considered how it may discharge its legal responsibility and ensure that all drivers and operators are of the required standard and free of relevant convictions.
The following procedure has been adopted for all applicants for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers' Licences.
- Applicants will be required to prove medical fitness to DVLA Group 2 medical standards
- Applicants will be required to undergo a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Enhanced Disclosure check
- DSA - Driving Standards Agency Hackney Carriage Driving Assessment Pass Certificate
- Applicants will also undergo a DVLA licence check to verify the current status of their driving licence
- The applicant must then make an appointment with the Licensing Section to take the local Knowledge test having submitted the properly completed application form
- A full DVLA driving licence must be supplied (both parts in respect of the new licences, the card and paper licence)
- Enrolment on the NVQ Level 2 -Road Passenger Vehicle Driving
- Two recent passport sized colour photographs, supporting documents and the licence fee
- This is currently £104.25, of which £36 represents the CRB Disclosure Fee and £10.50 represents the Knowledge Test fee
Some examples of documentary evidence needed to support the CRB check are shown below:
- Utility bill
- Credit card/Mortgage/bank statement
- Passport
- P45/P60 (National Insurance document)
- Driving Licence
- Marriage certificate
Knowledge Tests
This test is required to ensure that the legal requirement to take a passenger to his destination by the shortest possible route can be complied with as well as knowledge of the Highway Code and numeracy. Questions will include a selection of routes between various points within the district, locations of places of entertainment, refreshment and domestic addresses.
Local Geography - an example question and answer
Please write down directions for the following journeys ensuring that you are using the shortest possible route.
Q. From Hinckley Railway Station (Southfield Road) to Sketchley Grange Hotel (Sketchley Lane, Burbage)
A. From Hinckley Railway Station turn left onto Hawley Road and go straight on towards the island.
Turn left at the island go under the train bridge and straight on. Go forward at box junction and carry on up the hill.
Carry on forward to mini roundabout and turn right and take the third exit into Herald Way.
Take the first right into Sketchley Lane. Carry straight on; the hotel is on the left at the bottom of the road.
Application Form
The applicant will be asked to detail, on the application form, any convictions which have been recorded against them.
The subsequent checks to the CRB will serve to confirm the information provided. You must not rely on that check to provide the correct information as any application which does not supply the complete information at the outset may be considered to be incomplete and a view may be taken that a deliberate attempt has been made to conceal convictions which have not been declared. It is a criminal offence to make a false declaration to obtain a licence.
Convictions will not necessarily debar an applicant although, if a relevant conviction is revealed which takes the matter outside the council’s policy on the relevance of convictions, the matter will be referred, to the Licensing Committee where a hearing will be held to decide the application.
The convictions will be taken into account and details provided to the committee to enable them to consider the matter. All information received will remain confidential and be securely stored only as long as is necessary as per the council's policy. Applicants also need to be aware of the CRB code of practice which can be accessed at the bottom of the page.
The above procedure has been set down to ensure consistency of approach and your co-operation is requested in ensuring that these steps are followed in the interests of better administration.
Once an applicant obtains a licence, they must at all times wear their drivers identification badge which is issued by the council when acting as a licensed driver, this is a requirement under the law.
This badge gives the driver the credibility that the public requires to ensure that he/she is suitably licensed.
