Agenda item

To consider a report by the Director of Environments and Housing which  highlights the impact upon the Taxi and Private Hire trade within Leeds, the governments requirement to introduce a Clean Air Zone will bring.

The report attempts to illustrate the steps that need to be taken to ensure that Taxi & Private Hire Operators and Licensees will need to take in order to be compliant with a Clean Air Zone and the impact upon Taxi & Private Hire licensing in Leeds.

(Report attached)

The Director of Environment & Neighbourhoods submitted a report on the Government’s requirement to introduce a Clean Air Zone in Leeds and the impact this would have on the Hackney Carriage (HC) and Private Hire (PH) trades. The report also illustrated the steps that need to be taken to ensure that HC & PH operators and licensees are compliant with Clean Air Zone requirements.

Clean Air Zones in Birmingham, Leeds, Southampton, Nottingham and Derby, will cover old diesel buses, coaches, taxis, private hire and lorries. Vehicles that do not comply with engine standards will be required to pay a daily fee, or levy to enter the zone. Newer vehicles that meet the latest emissions standards and private cars will not need to pay.

The Project Manager, Projects, Programmes & Procurement Unit and the Team Leader, Environmental Studies, City Development, attended the meeting to introduce the report and discussed the following key issues with Members:

·  No changes to Leeds licensing regulations are required to support the Clean Air Zone.

·  The DEFRA/EU criteria used to select the participating 5 cities

·  The methodology by which private cars were excluded from the CAZ requirements

·  A key risk for Leeds was identified as failure to achieve compliance with Air Quality standards as defined in EU directives as these have been incorporated into National legislation. Failure would mean that significant infraction fines could be passed to the local authority by the government utilising the Localism Act.

·  Acknowledged the financial impact on the PH/HC trade to replace existing fleet as well as the impact on HGV, bus and coach operators.

·  Noted the work undertaken already to liaise with the other 4 cities chosen to trial CAZs, as well as with core cities and the LGA to provide a national response to DEFRA.

·  Noted the work undertaken with the trades to provide information to them as early as possible to allow them time to plan for change

·  The requirement for the registered owner of the vehicle to pay the proposed fine; the work being done to determine the levy amount and the perceived difficulty of the collection of the levy, particularly in respect of non-UK resident drivers

·  Concern over the impact of non-compliant, non-Leeds registered PH or HC vehicles on the scheme. Members were informed that the West Yorkshire Authorities were working together to share information and that DEFRA was working to create a national database of all registered PH & HC vehicles

·  Comment that Leeds needed to investigate the “other measures” available – including long term solutions past 2020 such as Park & Ride scheme, rapid transport system

·  Cost implications for Leeds past 2020

·  Concern on the impact on PH drivers who utilised their vehicle for personal use

Members requested that officers should prepare a briefing note on the CAZ proposals, including information on the modelling criteria employed by DEFRA, for all Members of Council – to enable them to provide information to constituents. Additionally Members considered the proposal for the Chair to write to DEFRA on the matters raised by the Committee

RESOLVED -

a)  To note the contents of the report outlining the Government’s plans to improve air quality nationally and in Leeds.

b)  To request officers present a further report in due course to reference those areas of concern highlighted by Members, in order to inform a letter from the Chair to DEFRA on behalf of the Committee 

c)  That the Committee continue to support the work of the Council in its engagement activity with the Taxi & Private Hire Trade in communicating the impact of this decision