An employment tribunal recently found the current criteria by which Manchester City Council allocate hackney carriage proprietor's licences to be discriminatory. Thus the council is to undertake a review of the allocation of hackney carriage proprietor's licences under a new framework. It seems that the current plate issue which is now overdue has been suspended for the time being.
The original criteria for alloction of plates was agreed by the council and the trade in October 2005. There is currently a waiting list whereby applicants are ranked according to criteria, principally:
- length of service as a licensed hackney carriage driver in Manchester
- lenght of time spent on the waiting list
- conduct issues (convictions and suspension of licences etc)
The employment tribunal found that using 'years of service' as the primary criterion for points needed to be reviewed to address equalities issues. It also found that the criteria did not facilitate any provision for the condsideration of special circumstances.
A leading barrister has advised the council on a number of alternative plate allocation methods:
- a revised waiting list system
- revised policy and procedures whereby applications are invited
- de-limit, i.e. remove the limit on the number of plates issued
- a lottery system of allocation
The review is to follow the following timeline:
29th June 09 - Report to Licensing and Appeals Committee setting out the detail of the range of alternative approaches to the allocation of plates.
July 09 to September 09 - 12 week consultation period (with hackney and private hire trade and all other interested parties)
October 09 - Consideration of consultation responses and development of revised policy on the allocation of plates.
23rd November 09 - Report to Licensing and Appeals Committee recommending proposed revised policy on allocation of plates.
2nd December 09 - Recommendation considered by Full Council.
