2006-2011 LTP Annex 2

Introduction

The purpose of this strategy is to set out what is required in Warwickshire over the next five years to ensure that Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles play their full role in helping to meet the needs of both current and potential passengers in Warwickshire, and deliver the transport objectives of the Government and the County Council.

An effective transport network is essential in order to give people, in both the urban and rural areas of Warwickshire, access to the opportunities and benefits that contribute to the enjoyment of a better quality of life. Public transport needs will continue to be met by bus, rail, community transport services or taxis and private hire vehicles, or any appropriate combination of these modes. This Strategy deals specifically with the contribution that taxis and private hire vehicles make in providing an effective transport network. 

The effectiveness of transport links extends, not only to its provision, but also to difficulties in physically accessing what is provided, and other equally important issues such as the level of fares, journey time, personal security and comfort.

Each of these activities and modes has interlinked strategies and common aims. Where possible, these will be integrated to provide the most effective transport service.

This document outlines:

• The objectives of the strategy;
• A brief overview of the policy framework within which taxis and private hire vehicles operate;
• The demand for taxis and private hire vehicles in the context of the socio-economic background of the County;
• The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Strategy developed in response to this context;
• Constraints on delivering the Strategy;
• The Action Plan for delivery, along with the proposed schemes and measures; and
• Monitoring and review of the action plan.

The Action Plan is a realistic implementation mechanism in the light of the constraints, with a monitoring and review process against set targets and indicators as appropriate.

Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Objectives

The starting point for this Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Strategy is the overall transport objectives of the Local Transport Plan (LTP) which have been developed to reflect national, regional and local policy.  The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Strategy will contribute to achieving the objectives in the LTP by promoting a network, which:

• Offers accessibility, both in terms of physical access to transport and its availability, to the widest cross section of the population;
• Gives people (including those who do not have access to cars) more travel choices to access work, services and leisure activities;
• Offers affordable fares to passengers; and
• Encourages integration with other modes of transport.

Differences between Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles

The market for hire vehicles in the UK is divided between licensed taxis (known either as hackney carriages or cabs), which can ply for hire in the streets or at ranks, although they can be booked over the telephone, and private hire vehicles that can only be pre-booked. There are also differences in the regulation of the two sectors. The taxi licensing authority regulates the quality of service and safety standards of both taxis and private hire vehicles. Drivers of taxis and private hire vehicles must both be licensed. The licensing authority may regulate the fares charged by taxis, and may set a limit on the number of licences for taxi vehicles (as opposed to taxi drivers). It does not have power to set limits on the number of private hire vehicles, or to regulate their fares.

Roles and Responsibilities

Whilst the County Council is the relevant Transport Authority for Warwickshire, responsibility for the licensing and regulation of taxis and private hire vehicles lies with the five District/Borough Councils. In Warwickshire, these are:

• North Warwickshire Borough Council, covering Atherstone, Polesworth, Coleshill and Kingsbury;
• Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council;
• Rugby Borough Council;
• Warwick District Council, covering Warwick, Leamington Spa, Kenilworth and Whitnash; and
• Stratford-on-Avon District Council, covering Alcester, Stratford-upon-Avon, Southam, Studley and Shipston-on-Stour.

The County Council has consulted these Authorities in the preparation of this Strategy. Each of the five Authorities has its own policies for taxi and private hire vehicle provision that reflect local need.

Policy Overview

The Strategy has been developed within the National, Regional and Local policy environment and aims to be consistent with the wider framework.  An overview of the policy background is provided in Annex 1 of the LTP.

In March 2004, the Government published its Action Plan for Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles. This document recognised the role of taxis and private hire vehicles in the provision of public transport, particularly where buses and trains are not available. As well as providing the connecting first or last stage of a journey, making it easier to use public transport, they can provide people in the lower income groups with access to vital services and an enhanced quality of life.

The Action Plan, which was put together as a response to a set of recommendations by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) identified a number of issues, namely:

• The removal of restrictions on the number of taxi licenses that can be issued by a licensing authority (except where removal of such restrictions would lead to a significant consumer detriment as a result of local conditions);
• The need to maintain quality in taxi and private hire vehicle service provision, particularly in relation to securing the safety of the general public;
• The identification of maximum rather than minimum fare levels, in order to protect vulnerable consumers and allow users to negotiate lower fares in certain circumstances; and
• The need to establish single licensing areas, in order to bring greater clarity to areas where multiple zones exist.

The Demand for Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles

The scale and distribution of the population in Warwickshire together with their socio-economic characteristics have a major impact on travel patterns and mode of travel. This has been taken into account when developing the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Strategy.  

Population

The population in Warwickshire has grown far more quickly over the last 20 years than the general growth in population of the Region or of England and Wales.

Socio-Economic Issues

People on low incomes are more dependent upon taxis and private hire vehicles to access employment, health, education, shopping and leisure opportunities and make up a higher than average proportions of the market for taxis and private hire vehicles travel. The proportion of households on below average incomes varies between the five District/Boroughs in Warwickshire. Pockets of deprivation can be found within all districts. Some wards within the Warwickshire districts are amongst the 10% most deprived in the country. A number of other wards fall not too far outside this category.

Car Ownership

The proportion of households without a car in Warwickshire is 19%, which is below the national average of 27%.  However, the proportion of households possessing two cars at 39% is greater than the average for England of 29%.  

People without access to a car are four times more likely to use a public transport service (including taxis and private hire vehicles) than people with access to a car. Source: Warwickshire Statistics in West Midlands Travel Survey 2001

For those without access to a car travel opportunities can be constrained by the limitations of the current public transport network. For example the geographic and time of day coverage of public transport services can limit the abilities of those without a car to access employment, health, education, shopping and leisure opportunities.

Research suggests that the number of journeys per annum made by those without access to car is approximately 50% of those with a car. Source – Warwickshire Household Survey

Existing Travel Patterns

Within Warwickshire, the main travel movements occur within and between the urban areas in the North/South corridor, i.e. Nuneaton, Bedworth, Coventry, Kenilworth, Leamington Spa and Warwick. There are also significant movements between Rugby and Coventry, and between Warwickshire, Birmingham and the West Midlands conurbation. Parts of Western Warwickshire also experience a strong demand for travel towards Redditch and Birmingham.  Similarly, there are also significant travel movements from parts of North Warwickshire to Tamworth and Birmingham.

Traffic growth across the County has generally followed national growth trends over recent years. Traffic growth has tended to reflect areas where significant development has occurred.

Future Travel Patterns

Future travel patterns in the County will respond to a number of factors, including:

• New development, both within the County and in surrounding areas (particularly Coventry and the West Midlands conurbation);
• Changes in work patterns, including more flexible working hours; and
• Changes in personal lifestyle choices.

Particular focus for development is likely to occur in the Coventry – Nuneaton Regeneration Zone, and the Solihull – Coventry – Warwick Technology corridor. The Regional Spatial Strategy also highlights Rugby as a potential growth area in the West Midlands region.

Mode Choice

The car is the dominant mode of travel in Warwickshire. In Warwickshire a higher percentage of people travel to work by car (71.2%) than the average for England and Wales (61.5%) while a lower percentage use bus to travel to work (3.4% compared with 7.4%).  Use of taxis and private hire vehicles is included in the ‘Other’ category (1.7%).

Existing Provision of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles

Taxi and private hire vehicle provision can be found throughout Warwickshire, but is generally focused in the main urban areas. Taxis and private hire vehicles also meet important journey needs in rural areas, particularly where bus service provision is limited.

The Current Fleet of Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles

Due to the requirement for all service providers to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act, the average age of the fleet of taxis and private hire vehicles operating in the county has reduced significantly over recent years. This trend should continue over the LTP period given the deadline of January 2012 by which all taxis and private hire vehicles should comply with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Operators

There are a number of operators of licensed taxis and private hire vehicles in Warwickshire. The split of licensed vehicles by District/Borough is as follows:

• North Warwickshire Borough: 71 taxis and 33 private hire vehicles;
• Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough: 180 taxis and 72 private hire vehicles;
• Rugby Borough: 46 taxis and 118 private hire vehicles;
• Warwick District: 125 taxis and 159 private hire vehicles; and
• Stratford-on-Avon District: 67 taxis and 150 private hire vehicles.

The County Council make extensive use of taxis and private hire vehicles to meet certain school/college related trips, and journeys associated with Social Services provision.

Problems and Opportunities

Problems

Some of the problems associated with taxis and private hire vehicles are:

• The cost of using taxis and private hire vehicles in Warwickshire is generally around 3-4 times more than the cost of the same journey by bus;
• Fares for taxis and private hire vehicles service provision can differ substantially by operator and by District/Borough;
• There is a large number of the taxi and private hire vehicle fleet operating in the County that do not currently meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act; and
• Rogue operators working outside the taxi and private hire vehicle licensing regime can affect the reputation of the industry.

Opportunities

Taxis and private hire vehicles provide a useful, and often vital complement to conventional public transport. As a mode of transport, they are able to offer:

• A flexible transport service which can respond to a wide range of (individual) transport needs;
• Specialised transport provision that can cater for people who have some form of physical, mental or sensory impairment;
• A 24-hour service which can provide transport at times when other services are not operating (particularly in evenings and on Sundays);
• A transport service that is relatively secure, particularly for those travelling alone in the evening;
• An important facility for tourists and others who are unfamiliar with an area, including air and rail travellers;
• An alternative to bus services when passengers are encumbered by luggage or heavy shopping;
• A potential transport system to act as a feeder service to mainstream public transport provision; and,
• An alternative mode in rural areas where conventional public transport is unable to provide a suitable range of destinations.

The Strategy

The Vision

The vision of Warwickshire County Council’s Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Strategy is:

‘An affordable, accessible, safe, convenient and environmentally friendly provision of taxis and private hire vehicles across the County, capable of meeting local demand, improving accessibility and reducing social exclusion, thereby contributing to the achievement of the objectives in the Warwickshire’s Local Transport Plan 2005’.

The main theme of the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Strategy is to work in partnership with others to improve taxi and private hire vehicle provision across the County.

The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Strategy Policies

Quality Of Service

a. Affordable

• Taxi and private hire vehicles can often be the least affordable local transport services, but passengers can benefit from more affordable taxi fares and hire charges if taxi-sharing schemes operate in their area.

b. Accessible

• The design of taxis and private hire vehicles and taxi waiting facilities should enable passengers to board or alight from the vehicle unaided or with a reasonable level of assistance;
• Interchange infrastructure should provide for ‘seamless’ changes between transport modes;
• Taxi and private hire services should be co-ordinated to encourage interchange consistent with the aims of the County Council’s Public Transport Interchange Strategy, Bus Strategy, Passenger Rail Strategy and Community Transport Strategy, with the object of increasing the range of travel opportunities and options for travellers; and
• Pedestrian and cycling routes to taxi waiting facilities shall accord with the standards set out in the Walking Strategy and the Cycling Strategy.

c. Available

• Taxi waiting facilities should be conveniently located and afford a visible, high level of access. Where possible, reasonable access to taxi waiting facilities where possible will be maintained where general traffic is excluded from town centre streets or other areas.

d. Acceptable

• Taxi waiting facilities should provide reasonable shelter, comfort, suitable heating (where appropriate) and ventilation for the season of the year; and facilities to address personal safety and security issues; and
• Taxi and private hire vehicle staff should be helpful and courteous and preferably have received an appropriate level of customer service training.

e. Simple to Use

• Information on taxi and private hire vehicle operators should be readily available, easy to understand, and be simple to use. This should include information on typical charges for end-to-end journeys;
• Information systems should enable passengers to plan their journeys and provide increased public confidence as to the availability and reliability of taxi and private hire services; and
• Signage to taxi waiting facilities should be provided where appropriate, including provision from within railway stations and key bus interchange facilities.

The Constraints

The main constraint to the County Council’s ability to deliver the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Strategy is that it is neither the licensing or regulatory Authority. However, through partnership working, particularly with the five District/Borough Councils, the County Council aims to assist in improving taxi and private hire provision throughout Warwickshire.

In line with Policy TPHV1, the County Council will work in partnership with the five District/Borough Councils and adjoining Transport and Licensing Authorities to resolve cross boundary issues where they arise.

The Action Plan

The Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Action Plan has been developed to minimise the adverse impact of the constraints on the achievement of the policies in the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Strategy. The Action Plan is geared towards addressing the key issues within the context of the known constraints and opportunities.

The delivery of taxi and private hire vehicle initiatives involves a wide range of stakeholders. In these circumstances, the timescales for the schemes and measures set out below will need to be flexible to take advantage of the implementation opportunities as they arise.

TPHV Action A1 - Partnership

The role of the County Council, working in partnership with the five District/Borough Councils, taxi and private hire vehicle operators, users and other stakeholders, is to help promote the role of taxis and private hire vehicles as part of the transport network, and bring forward improvements where it is feasible and desirable to do so.

The County Council will work with its partners to secure funding through the Local Transport Plan and other appropriate sources of funding (including contributions from land development) towards improvements for taxi facilities.

For each specific initiative set out in the Actions below the likely timescale for delivery is identified as short, medium or long term.  For the purposes of this strategy, short term will be the period to 2011, medium term will be the period from 2011 and 2016 and long term will be the period 2016 onwards.

TPHV Action A2 – Quality of Service 

TPHV Action A3 – Development of Taxi buses

TPHV Action A4 – Improvement of Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles Facilities at Public Transport Interchanges

Indicators and Monitoring

Monitoring the delivery of the actions outlined in the Action Plan will be an important part of the management and control process. Progress against the identified actions and standards will be reviewed on a regular basis (at least annually) to make certain that the Action Plan is achieving the desired outcome.

The monitoring, benchmarking and measuring of indicators and targets will allow changes to be identified, incorporated and updated in due course.

Table 17.8 below sets out the main indicator that will be used to assess progress with the Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles Strategy.