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DRIVERS
I have to be a 'fit and proper person' to be
licensed, what does that mean?
What do I need to provide when applying for a
licence?
Why do I have to have a
CRB
check every 3 years at extra
cost?
May I use my
CRB
check and medical obtained
elswhere?
Why am I required to complete an
IDS
mandate?
About the Knowledge test.
About the
DSA
test.
How long
does a licence last?
Must I wear my badge?
May I use my car horn to let customers know I
have arrived?
Do I
have to accept bus tokens?
Can I stop at a 'taxi rank'?
May I take bookings on my own
behalf?
May I drive for a company in another local
authority area?
Use
of data to prevent and detect fraud
Public Register (external
Website) >>
I have to be a 'fit and proper
person' to be licensed, what does that mean?
Lord Bingham said it means that you
must be a safe driver with a good driving record and adequate
experience, sober, mentally and physically fit, honest and not a
person who would take advantage of their employment to abuse or
assault passengers. It has also been put another way; that
you are a person that a parent would entrust their child to be
alone with in a car.
What do I need to provide when
applying for a licence?
A
CRB
check, a medical report, a
full driving licence (held for at least 12 months), date of
knowledge test, 2 passport sized photos, a completed
IDS
mandate and a completed
application form (which requests the names and addresses of 2
references). Full details are provided in an application pack
obtainable from the Licensing Department, in person or by post.
Any applicant unable to provide a full 5 year address history in
the UK must provide a Certificate of Good Conduct from their
Embassy or Home Country Police and a Home Country Traffic Police
Record, with English translation where necessary, to complete a
total 5 year history.
Why do I have to have a
CRB
check every 3 years at extra
cost?
HBC
is required to ensure that
licence holders are 'fit and proper' to hold licences. Part
of that procedure is an initial and then periodic checks for
any criminal record held or acquired over the time you are
licensed. The only organisation permitted to do this is the
CRB
who set their own
fee. The Council has no control over this matter.
May I use my
CRB
check and medical obtained
elswhere?
You may be able to if they have
been obtained in the last 12 months. The Licensing Officers
will be able to give more specific advise as cases can vary.
Why am I required to complete an
IDS
mandate?
Under Health and Safety and Duty of Care
requirements, local authorities are obliged to check that all
hackney carriage and private hire drivers are correctly licensed to
drive.
HBC
have
outsourced the process to
IDS
in order to minimise
the opportunity for data fraud.
IDS
will request your current
endorsement and licence category information from the
DVLA.
HBC
considers
this check helpful in establishing whether a driver is a 'fit
and proper person'. A full set of
IDS
frequently asked questions are
supplied in the initial driver application pack.
About the Knowledge test
The public
have a right to expect that the driver of a hackney carriage or
private hire vehicle will know how to get to a destination
therefore we ask initial driver applicants to take a knowledge
test. You will need to book the test at
HBC
reception when submitting your
application forms and enter the test date on the blue
HBC
application form. The
test is in three parts: 1) check the applicant has
sufficiently good eyesight to read a vehicle registration
number, 2) a practical driving assessment lasting about 35 to
40 minutes making journies from one place to another using the
shortest route, 3) 25 questions about the locations of places of
interest within the Havant Borough. Once all
three parts have been completed, the applicant will be told whether
or not they have passed. Should there be a failure at
part 2, a DSA test will be to be arranged (see section
below). When attending to take the knowledge test, applicants
should bring a car, valid insurance certificate, current MOT
certificate if applicable, the DVLA driving licence (both part
if photocard style) and the applicable fee. More details
on the knowledge test are included in the driver application
pack.
About the
DSA
test.
As a professional driver, you
will have a special responsibility to ensure that your passengers
have a safe, comfortable and enjoyable journey therefore we
ask initial driver applicants who have failure part 2 of the
Knowledge Test to sit a
DSA
test. You will need to
contact the
DSA
and
arrange a test date for the Hackney Saloon/Private Hire Saloon
driver assessment test
(type Z). The
licensing deparmtnet will need to be informed of the test
date. The
DSA
booking line is 0300 200 1122 or
http://www.transportoffice.gov.uk/
There is an optional assessment that can be taken if you have a
wheelchair accesssible vehicle. This is Hackney Wheelchair
enhanced assessment test (type Z1). The
DSA
offices at Portsmouth and
Gosport conduct the assessment tests and the optional wheelchair
enhances assessment is only conducted at Gosport.
How long does a licence last?
A year from the date of
issue.
Must I wear my badge?
Yes, customers expect to see a
driver is licensed not only when they are in the car but also when
they call to collect their passenger. It is a matter of
public safety and reassurance.
May I use my car horn to let
customers know I have arrived?
No, the unnecessary use of a
vehicle horn is a criminial offence and contrary to the Council's
code of conduct for drivers. The use of horns is a source of
complaint to the Council from residents who readily identify
licensed vehicles.
Do I have to accept bus
tokens?
Not neccessarily, however, as
private hire drivers work for an operator, it is the operator who
should determine the company policy, not the driver or vehicle
proprietor.
Can I stop at a 'Taxi rank'?
Only if you are driving a Hackney
carriage and are with the vehicle. Private Hire drivers are not
permitted to stop at a 'taxi rank'.
May I take bookings on my own
behalf?
Hackney carriages can but private
hire vehicles cannot - all their bookings must go through a Havant
licensed operator.
May I drive for a company in
another local authority area?
No, all 3 licences - driver,
vehicle and operator - must be issued by Havant, however you may
hold driver's licences for several areas.
Use of data to prevent and detect
fraud
A full 'fair processing notice'
giving links to the detailed statutory requirements is on the
council's website link to 'fair processing notice'>>