Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing Policy 2021 to 2026

1. Responsibility to the trade

Licence holders shall endeavour to promote the image of the hackney carriage and private hire trade by:

• complying with this Code of Conduct
• complying with all the conditions of their licence and the Council's Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy
• behaving in a professional manner at all times

2. Responsibility to clients

Licence holders shall:

• maintain their vehicles in a safe and satisfactory conditions at all times
• keep their vehicles clean and suitable for hire to the public at all times
• attend punctually when undertaking pre-booked hiring
• assist, where necessary, passengers into and out of vehicles (unless medically exempt)
• offer passengers reasonable assistance with luggage

3. Responsibility to residents

To avoid nuisance or disturbance to residents when picking up or waiting for a fare, or waiting to be allocated a booking, a driver shall:

• not sound the vehicle's horn
• keep the volume of audio equipment low
• switch off the engine if required to wait
• take whatever additional action is necessary to avoid disturbance to residents in the neighbourhood
• not deposit any litter
• not urinate in the street

At hackney carriage ranks, drivers shall, in addition to the requirements above:

• rank in an orderly manner and proceed along the rank in order and promptly
• remain in the vehicle

At private hire offices a licence holder shall:

• not allow their audio equipment to cause disturbance to residents of the neighbourhood
• take whatever additional action is necessary to avoid disturbance to  residents of the neighbourhood which might arise from the conduct of their business

4. General

Drivers shall:

• pay attention to personal hygiene and dress in accordance with the dress code
• be polite, helpful and respectful to passengers
• drive with care and due consideration for other road users and pedestrians
• obey all Traffic Regulation Orders and directions at all times
• ensure that they do not smell of alcohol or consume alcohol at any time whilst driving or being in charge of a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle
• not drive while having misused legal or illegal drugs
• behave in a civil and orderly manner at all times
• when requested by the Council attend a medical practitioner and or submit to any drugs tests deemed appropriate

Please note: Any amount of alcohol or drugs can affect a driver's judgment. The Council will take a very serious view of any driver being found to have had any alcohol or having misused any drugs whilst in charge of a licensed vehicle.