Agenda item - Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Trade Ethnicity Monitoring

Report of Director of Environment (copy attached).

RESOLVED – to note the contents of the report.

14.1    The Hackney Carriage Officer presented a report on Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Trade Ethnicity Monitoring to the Committee.

14.2    A Member asked about the figures for the waiting list in the report, questioned why they were so high and asked if they were always so. The Hackney Carriage Officer replied that it was fairly steady year on year, but had reduced considerably from an over twenty year wait to around a nine year wait.

14.3    Further questions were asked about the ethnicity categories within the report and it was explained that the “other” category was self-determined by the respondent and could include any ethnicity or combination of ethnicities.

14.4    It was noted by Members that there was a low number of female drivers in the trade and Officers were asked whether this group was actively encouraged by the Council. The Hackney Carriage Officer noted that there was a small increase in women from ethnic minorities entering the trade this year, but stated that there were few measures the Council could implement to encourage higher uptake. It was noted that safety measures such as CCTV in Hackney Carriage taxis may make female drivers feel safer when driving at night and so could encourage uptake.

14.5    RESOLVED – to note the contents of the report.