Members RESOLVED that Cllr Miss Sanders should chair the meeting.

Members are respectfully reminded that, in determining the matters listed below, they are exercising an administrative function with the civil burden of proof, i.e. ‘on the balance of probabilities’.  The matter will be determined on the facts before the Sub-Committee and the rules of natural justice will apply.

Members were respectfully reminded that, in determining the matters listed in the agenda they were exercising an administrative function with the civil burden of proof, i.e. ‘on the balance of probabilities’.  The matter would be determined on the facts before the Sub-Committee and the rules of natural justice would apply.

This report is confidential and details are exempt by virtue of Part 1 of Schedule 12 Local Government Act 1972 because it contains information relating to an individual.

An application had been received from Ola UK for the grant of a Private Hire Operators Licence. It was necessary for the application to be considered by a Licensing sub-committee because it fell outside the Council’s policy.

The Principal Licensing Officer, Paul Adams, advised that the Applicant did not meet the Council’s policy of “ a person being considered for a Private Hire Vehicle Operator’s License shall have been a full time licensed Private Hire Vehicle Driver or Hackney Carriage Driver within the Borough for not less than two years immediately preceding the application.” Otherwise the Applicant met all the requirements and in this case Mr. Adams stated public safety was not enhanced by the time limit being observed. Mr. Adams made his recommendations in accordance with the Report.

The Sub-Committee then heard from Karl Lutzou, the present Director of Ola, who advised that the company was the third largest operator in the world and had started in India and had spread as far afield as Australia. It held 65 operators’ licenses in the UK. He asserted that safety was paramount to the company and there was a safety button on their app for travellers or drivers to contact the police if needed, also contact details for five  family members or friends to track safety. Checks were made on the quality of the drivers and there was a rating mechanism on the app on driver performance. 

The Committee was impressed by the range and use of the app and felt that there were no safety concerns so that the 2 year requirement was not necessary. The application was GRANTED subject to  a condition which required signage in each vehicle to be agreed by the Licensing Department.