Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy

All enforcement of private hire and hackney carriage vehicle/driver and/or private hire operator licences will be carried out in accordance with the Council’s adopted Licensing Enforcement Policy (Appendix 6) and the Council’s Enforcement Policy. Enforcement may be carried out in conjunction with other authorised bodies, such as DVSA, Thames Valley Police and other Licensing Authority officers. Where appropriate, officers from neighbouring authorities may also be authorised to carry out taxi and private hire enforcement in respect of Buckinghamshire Council licensed vehicles, drivers and operators and likewise officers from the Council’s Licensing Service may be authorised by other Licensing Authorities.

The Licensing Service will aim to undertake enforcement fairly, providing advice where appropriate to ensure that operators, drivers and vehicle proprietors fully understand the relevant legislation and conditions.

Any enforcement action carried out will be proportionate and reasonable and will aim to treat all licensees fairly and consistently.

Complaints received and warnings issued in relation to licence holders will generally be held on file and taken into consideration during the period of any licence or application or where there is a break in licence history.

Interviews with licence holders or applicants are typically recorded on a Council-issued laptop using Microsoft Teams, or saved to a disk, to provide an accurate record of the meeting. Remote interviews, conducted by telephone or MS Teams, will also be recorded in the same manner.