Taxis: Phased conversion to a single system by January 2019

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A decision made 6 April 2018:

Decision Reference: MD-T-2018-0032
Decision Summary Title :	Taxi-Cab Public Rank Access		Date of Decision Summary:	06 April 2018
Decision Summary Author:	Inspector of Motor Traffic		Decision Summary: Public or Exempt?	Public
Type of Report: Oral or Written?	Written		Person Giving Oral Report:	N/A
Written Report Title :	Taxi-Cab Public Rank Access		Date of Written Report:	06 April 2018
Written Report Author:	Inspector of Motor Traffic		Written Report : Public or Exempt?	Public
Subject: To carry out the Minister for Infrastructure’s instruction, in accordance with his powers under Article 9(2) of the Road Traffic (Jersey) Law 1935, that the Inspector of Motor Traffic shall in advance of 01 January 2019, convert ten private hire cab license plates per month to access the Public ranks.
Decision(s): The Minister approved the Inspector of Motor Traffic to convert ten private hire licenses, to access the public ranks if they meet the accessible standard and satisfy the Inspector of Motor Traffic that the drivers of such vehicles have completed the prescribed training and can satisfy the Conditions of the Licence issued.
Reason(s) for Decision: To introduce a phased transition toward the single tier taxi-cab system, as set out in Ministerial Decision MD-T-2015-0079, in advance of the compliance date of 01 January 2019 for all taxi-cabs to meet the assessable standard and to assist in improving availability at public ranks, in particular at the Ports.
Resource Implications: None
Action required: The Inspector of Motor Traffic to convert ten private hire licenses per month to access the public ranks if they meet the accessible standard and satisfy the Inspector of Motor Traffic that the driver of such vehicles have completed the prescribed training and can satisfy the Conditions of Licence to be issued. \
Signature:		Position: Minister for Infrastructure
Date Signed:		Date of Decision (If different from Date Signed):

Taxis: Phased conversion to a single system by January 2019

DEPARTMENT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

TAXI-CAB PUBLIC RANK ACCESS

Purpose of the Report

To seek the Minister for Infrastructure’s instruction, in accordance with his powers under Article 9(2) of the Road Traffic (Jersey) Law 1935, that the Inspector of Motor Traffic shall in advance of 01 January 2019 convert ten private hire cab license plates per month, to allow those private hire cabs to access the public ranks, provided that the vehicles meet the accessible standard prescribed under Article 3(4)(a) of the Motor Traffic (Taxi-Cabs – General) (Jersey) Order 2016 and set out in Part 2A of the Motor Traffic (Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness)) (Amendment No. 2) (Jersey) Order 2016 and that the vehicle drivers have demonstrated to the Inspector of Motor Traffic that they have completed the prescribed training and are affiliated to a company as required by their PSV License.

Background

The Minister’s duties, set out in the Motor Traffic (Jersey) Law 1935 as amended, are primarily to prescribe by Order such matters as it is necessary or convenient to prescribe to ensure that, insofar as it is practicable to do so, there is an adequate, efficient and reasonably priced cab service available throughout Jersey at all times.

In September 2015 the Minister set out in Ministerial Decision MD-T-2015-0079 ‘Taxi-Cab Regulatory Reforms Programme’ the areas where it is considered that improvements should be made to provide a more flexible and safer taxi-cab service to the public.

The report set out the principles of a more flexible taxi-cab system as follows;

“3.3 It is proposed to move towards a new more flexible model for the delivery of taxi-cabs services, to replace ‘controlled’ and ‘restricted’. In the future all taxi-cabs will be hailable and available for advance booking and subject to a common tariff. Access to the ranks will continue for existing ‘controlled’ cabs and will become available to ‘restricted’ cabs from March 2016 if they meet a wheelchair access standard to be established. From 01 January 2019, only vehicles that meet the access standard will have access to the ranks. A livery that identifies vehicles that can use the ranks will be introduced. Plates will remain non-transferable”

In May 2016 the Minister prescribed under MD-T-2016-0034 the requirements for a taxi-cab to meet the accessible standard for taxi-cab vehicles and drivers.

The MD stated that

“…, it is proposed that all taxi cabs will meet an Accessible Standard by no later than 1 January 2019. “

and

“All existing taxi-cabs licenced as at 31 March 2016 will have until 1 January 2021 to meet the accessible standard, and affiliate to a dispatching entity to continue accessing the public ranks. The drivers of these taxi-cabs will also be required to have met all training requirements.”

In September 2016 the Minister prescribed under MD-T-2016-0079 the requirements for a taxi-cab to meet the accessible standard for taxi-cab vehicles.

Discussion

Following the results of the latest unmet demand survey (November 2017), representation from the Ports of Jersey and the considerable take up of both WAV and non WAV training in advance of the 01 January 2019 deadline for all taxi-cabs to meet the accessible standards, it is considered there are two options for the Minister to implement to assist the current situation:

a) Introduce further Part Time Ranks

b) Accelerate the conversion of Private Hire Plates to access the public ranks

It is considered that converting existing Private Hire Cabs as b) above will assist the current situation, as well as the long term situation to the Public by improving:

Peak time demand being met
Availability at the Ports of Jersey generally
Delivery of a one tier taxi-cab system
Improve dead mileage for the Industry overall.

It is considered that by phasing in the conversion of a small number of private hire license plates immediately this will also reduce the impact of such conversions in January 2019.

Recommendation

The Minister is asked to allow the phasing in of more taxi-cabs accessing the ranks in accordance with the requirements set out in the Motor Traffic (Taxi-Cabs - General) (Amendment no2) (Jersey) Order 2016.

Reason(s) for Decision

To introduce a phased transition towards the single tier taxi-cab system in advance of the compliance date of 01 January 2019 for all taxi-cabs to meet the assessable standard and assist in improving availability at public ranks in particular at the Ports.

Action Required

The Inspector of Motor Traffic to convert ten private hire licenses to access the public ranks if they meet the accessible standard and satisfy the Inspector of Motor Traffic that the driver of such a vehicle has completed the prescribed training and can satisfy the Conditions of Licence to be issued.

Written by: Inspector of Motor Traffic

Approved by: Director of Transport Policy