Issue - meetings

That the wording in number 2 of the Private Hire Vehicle Specification be

changed to read  ‘The minimum acceptable width of seat section per person is

400mm’.

The Licensing Officer introduced the report on approving changes to the Private Hire Vehicle Specification. 

The Licensing Officer provided background information and advised that due to a discrepancy between the Private Hire Vehicle Specification and the Conditions of Licence confusion had arisen which had resulted in some nominated testing stations measuring across the back seat of a vehicle as a whole and ensuring each passenger had 400mm or more if the length was divided into three, and some measuring between the seat belt anchorages which resulted in the ‘narrowest’ part of the seat often being too small to comply.  It was proposed therefore that the wording ‘at the narrowest point’ be removed from the Private Hire Vehicle Specification and the wording of the condition be amended to reflect the wording of the  Private Hire Vehicle Conditions.  This would ensure that all nominated testing stations measured the rear seat as a whole and divided the measurement by three to ensure that all passengers had the comfort of 400mm seat width per person.

            In response to the questions and concerns put forward by Members the Licensing Officer explained that the Conditions of Licence stated that the minimum acceptable width of seat section per person was 400mm.  If the Committee approved the proposal to amend the wording of the Specification the advisory pack which would be provided to testing stations in the future would provide clarification that the overall width of the back seat when divided by three gives 400mm per person.

During discussion Councillor Hilary McGuill proposed that the recommendation as detailed in the report be approved.    The proposal was duly seconded and agreed by the Committee.  

RESOLVED:

That the wording in number 2 of the Private Hire Vehicle Specification be

changed to read  ‘The minimum acceptable width of seat section per person is

400mm’.