Agenda item - Public Questions

(The closing date for receipt of public questions is 12 noon on Thursday 25 February 2010).

No public questions received by date of publication.

21.1    Ms Des Moulins asked the following question at the Committee meeting as follows:

At the last Licensing meeting the Chair of the Committee acknowledged that taxi drivers in Brighton and Hove discriminated against disabled people and the Committee’s commissioned Halcrow report also clearly evidenced that disabled people do not receive an equitable service.

We welcome the announced Taxi review and ask that any recommendations that are consequently forthcoming to improve services to disabled people will be supported by all members.

Will the Chairman give reassurances that the Committee will do everything in its power to ensure that disabled residents enjoy the same level of service as non disabled people?

21.2    The Chairman responded to the question as follows:

We can reassure Ms DesMoulins, and the members of the Federation of Disabled People, that the Council will do everything in its power to ensure that disabled people receive a non-discriminatory taxi and private hire service.

As you may know, the Hackney Carriage Office successfully prosecuted a driver recently who had refused to take a visually impaired customer because he was accompanied by a guide dog.

We acknowledge that sometimes operators and drivers may unwittingly discriminate against disabled people, and there may be a poor understanding of the type of barriers that disabled travellers encounter.  

Whilst enforcement activity will continue, ideally this Committee would prefer to work with the trade to prevent discrimination rather than merely respond.  We are grateful to the Federation, therefore, for taking part in the Review, for helping to clarify the issues and identify barriers for disabled people, and assisting with the problem solving process.

We are keen that all parties contribute to the Review and we would not want to commit to recommendations - not yet proposed - especially as there are important groups within the trade who have not yet been consulted.

21.3    Ms Des Moulins asked a supplementary question as follows:

            We welcome the imminent review and we request that the Committee gives its full support to this. We also raise concern about the decision making processes within the Council.

21.4    The Chairman responded to the supplementary question as follows:

            We will look at each issue thoroughly and a vote will be taken at Committee according to Council procedures.