North Devon Council is consulting on changes to its Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy, which has been updated to reflect national standards released by the Department for Transport on 21 July 2020.

Opinions on the changes to the policy are invited from the taxi trade, general public and anybody with an interest in taxis. The public consultation will take place from Wednesday 16 March 2022 until Wednesday 11 May 2022. 

The aim of the proposals in this consultation are to update the Policy in a number of key areas including vehicle standards, CCTV system specifications, and the introduction of record keeping requirements for vehicle proprietors.

The council’s Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy aims to:

• protect the public
• maintain and develop professional and respected hackney carriage and private hire trades
• enable access to an efficient and effective local transport service
• protect our local environment.

Leader of North Devon Council, Councillor David Worden, says: "I would like to encourage anyone who drives or regularly uses taxis or private hire vehicles to take part in this consultation for their own benefit. The consultation is about a number of proposed updates to our Policy, including updated vehicle standards, and record keeping requirements for vehicle proprietors, as well as a number of other proposals. Our committee members need your input in order to make an informed decision regarding these new proposals”.

If you would like to read the proposals and the recommendations, you can find them on the council's website and if you wish to make a comment, you may do so by:

• completing the online survey
• submitting a written comment to: The Licensing Team, Lynton House, Commercial Road, Barnstaple, EX31 1DG
• submitting a comment or emailing a completed survey to consultation@northdevon.gov.uk

If you require a hard copy of the consultation please contact Customer Services on 01271 388870.

Please note, all responses must be received by 11th May 2022.

Once the consultation closes, Licensing Officers will review all the feedback and make any relevant adjustments to the draft Policy. In early 2022, Licensing and Community Safety and Strategy and Resources Committees will review the final draft Policy and decide whether to recommend its adoption.