- Date
- 14 October 2020
- Details
-
Please find below information and links for the consultation on the Greater Manchester minimum licensing standard and clean air plan which started on Thursday last week.
Please share this information with any individual operating under your operator licence, members of your organisation and customers.
Minimum licensing standards (MLS)
Let’s talk taxis: our plans for minimum licensing standards
Do you drive a taxi or private hire vehicle licensed in Bolton? Do you use taxi or private hire services to travel around Bolton or anywhere else in Greater Manchester?
For passengers who use them on a night out, or to get around locally, we want you to have peace of mind on every journey.
That’s why a set of minimum standards for every service licensed in Bolton is being proposed, as part of Greater Manchester’s plans to make sure every journey is safer and more reliable.
Taxis and private hire vehicles are a crucial part of our transport network and we think proposed minimum licensing standards could help put local operators ahead of out-of-town services as they will give customers the confidence, they are using a high-quality, safer and more reliable service, with high environmental and accessibility standards.
An eight-week public consultation on the proposals started on Thursday 8 October 2020 and will run until midnight on Thursday 3 December 2020. This consultation will be the first of its kind and we’d like passengers, taxi and private hire drivers and operators to give their views.
To find out more and have your say, visit gmtaxistandards.com.
Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan
Another consultation around plans for a Greater Manchester Ccean air zone in 2022 is running at the same time as the MLS consultation.
The plans are aimed at reducing harmful air pollution from vehicles driving on our local roads. Vehicles including buses, coaches, heavy goods vehicles, taxis, private hire, vans, and minibuses which don’t meet emissions standards will have to pay a daily charge to drive in and around the zone.
Find out more now and fill out the questionnaire at cleanairgm.com before 23.59 on Thursday 3 December 2020.
Why are the minimum licensing standards being proposed?
Taxis and private hire services are a crucial part of the transport network, and it’s vital that they can consistently deliver safer and high-quality services for the public. It’s an important way for many people to get around and that’s why we are working with the other nine Greater Manchester local licensing authorities to make sure every journey meets the same high standard.
Together, we’ve developed a set of common, minimum standards for the taxis and private hire services they license. This work is taking place alongside the city-region’s Clean Air Plan to tackle poor roadside air quality, so that taxis and PHVs can play their part in reducing harmful emissions.
What support will be available to taxi and private hire operators?
We’re proposing the most generous offer of support for taxis of any clean air zone outside of London, providing total funding of up to £17,500 to help taxi owners upgrade their vehicles. Funding provision is also being made for private hire vehicles licensed by Greater Manchester local authorities to support the upgrade to cleaner vehicles.
We are also proposing a temporary exemption for wheelchair-accessible taxi and PHVs as well as a ‘try before you buy’ scheme for hackney drivers to test drive electric taxis, and will work with the trade to develop a network of taxi and PHV-only electric vehicle charge points.
In addition, Greater Manchester will continue to lobby government to change the law to prevent 'out-of-town' operation, so only those who are licensed within the city-region, and meet Greater Manchester’s high standards, can drive or operate in the area.
How do I respond to the MLS consultation?
You can have your say on the proposals by going to gmtaxistandards.com to answer the questions in the online questionnaire. Alternatively, you can email your feedback to gmtaxistandards@aecom.com.
Or you can give your feedback via telephone on 0161 244 1100.
If you would like to complete a questionnaire by hand, you can download a copy to print off from gmtaxistandards.com, or you can phone 0161 244 1100 to request a paper copy. After filling in the questionnaire, please post it to (no stamp needed):
Freepost RUBS-XRAT-GLBK
AECOM
1 New York Street
MANCHESTER
M1 4HD