Licensing Committee Consultation on Potential Overprovision of the Services Of Private Hire Cars in Dundee 2024

1. In terms of Section 10 (3A) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, a licensing authority may refuse to grant an application for a new Private Hire Car Licence “if it is satisfied that there is (or, as a result of granting the licence, could be) overprovision of private hire car services in the locality (or localities) in which the private hire car is to operate”. Section 10 (3B) gives the licensing authority the discretion to determine the appropriate locality or localities and allows the whole local authority area to be so designated.
2. In satisfying itself as to the matters mentioned above, the local authority must have regard to (i) the number of such licences operating in the locality and (ii) the demand for such services within the locality [Section 10 (3C) of the 1982 Act].
3. At its meeting on 26th September 2024, the Licensing Committee had regard to a report prepared by Jacobs UK Limited, who are a specialist company in the field of assessing demand for taxi and private hire car services. A copy of the report can be accessed on our website. The recommendation of this report was that there may be a state of overprovision of private hire car services in the Dundee City Council area.
4. Following consideration of the contents of the report, the Committee decided for the purposes of Section 10 (3B) of the aforementioned 1982 Act, that the appropriate locality should be the whole of its area for the very simple reason that there are no geographical restrictions within that area as to where private hire cars may operate.
5. Having regard to the number of private hire car licences in force at that time (177) and the assessment of demand in the report, the Committee therefore made a provisional finding for the purposes of consultation that there may be a state of overprovision of private hire car services in the whole if its area.
6. Since the decision to launch this consultation, the number of licences is now 185. This was due to pending applications which had been lodged prior to 26th September 2024 which were being processed and had not yet been determined as at that date.

1. Do you agree with the choice of the whole of the local authority area for the purposes of assessing potential overprovision of private hire car services?
2. If not, what alternative locality/localities should be adopted?
3. Do you agree with the proposal there may be a state of overprovision of private hire cars services in the proposed locality?
4. If not, why not?
5. The Licensing Committee currently has a policy that all new private hire cars should be on the approved list of electric vehicles maintained by the committee. Do you think this policy should continue?
6. Do you think other vehicles types should be included?
7. Do you think that the committee should allow any vehicle type to be operated as a private hire car?
8. Are there any other aspects of the operation of private hire cars in the Dundee City Council area upon which you wish to comment?

Responses should be sent to The Licensing Office, 4th Floor, 21 City Square, Dundee DD1 3BY or by email to licensing.board@dundeecity.gov.uk by no later than 20th December 2024.