The Sustainable Travel Group
Welcome to:
Taxi Operators’ Forum
13th May 2014
Taxi Forum
Introductions
Ashley Holland (Chair)
Team Leader – Contracts Team
Mark Watters
Team Leader – Business Development & Support
Peter Haines
Quality Officer – Quality Team
Taxi Forum
Agenda
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Housekeeping
– Please turn mobiles off, no fire drills expected
– Please hold all questions until the very end
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Review of the year
Presentation from Mark Goddard
(Safeguarding)
• Working Group Nominations 2014-15
• Questions and Answers / Your Views session
Taxi Forum
Review of 2013/14
(with the help of the Working Group)
• Changes to transport provision policies
(Mainstream, SEN & LBS)
• Contract issues
• DBS/CRB scheme
• Training / Safeguarding
(Presentation from Mark Goddard)
• East Midlands Shared Services
Taxi Forum
School transport update
No change in Mainstream Transport Policy for September 2014 other
than charges to parents increased from £252 to £425 (post 16) and
£450 (denominational/faith school transport)
Significant changes to Mainstream Transport Policy proposed for
September 2015 (Currently under consultation).
For pupils aged 5 -16 years of age living over the statutory walking
distances of 2 miles for primary school pupils and 3 miles for
secondary school pupils:
• Free transport to the nearest school with places
• Free transport to the nearest Leicestershire School with available
places. School must offer an entry point which is compatible with
the current school attended by the pupil
• Free transport to those pupils who live within the TEA (catchment)
area where the school attended has not changed its age range or
catchment area since May 2012
Taxi Forum
For Post 16 pupils living over 3 miles
• Assisted transport (not free) to the nearest 6th form
school or FE Establishment
• Assisted transport to the nearest Leicestershire 6th form
or Leicestershire FE Establishment
• Assisted transport to the those pupils who live within the
catchment area where the school attended has not
changed it’s age range or TEA (catchment) area since
May 2012
Taxi Forum
SEN Transport Policy
No significant changes to SEN Transport policy for 2014/15
• Charges to pupils under statutory school age and post
16 students increased from £252 to £425 (low income
exemptions apply)
• Continue protocol in relation to transport to alternative
address requests made by parents (only approved if no
additional cost)
Taxi Forum
Local Bus Policy changes
• A number of changes proposed to contracted local
bus services across the county
• Changes anticipated from October 2014
• New opportunity’s for taxi operators (demand
responsive transport (DRT)
Taxi Forum
Contractual Issues
• SV3 Framework
• TUPE
• Payments for waiting time and severe
delays/roadworks
• Cover charges (30% of daily contract price)
• Email tendering
• 2014-15 Academic Year
Taxi Forum
SV3 Framework
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Extension of current Framework for 1 further
year
Details of your inclusion on our frameworks are
publicly available (on website)
We share mailing lists with other LAs – this
may generate more business for you and helps
keep you informed of what each LA is doing
Taxi Forum
TUPE
Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment)
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TUPE may apply
Notice to LCC
Provision of information
Agreement between operators
Tribunal / Costs
Seek Legal Advice
Taxi Forum
Payments for waiting time and severe delays
• Waiting Time (must be agreed in advance or at
the time of the incident)
• Severe traffic delays (irregular delays not
reimbursed)
• Valeting payments (first occasion –
reimbursement will be considered)
• Damage costs (first occasion – reimbursement
will be considered)
Taxi Forum
Cover Charges
• Expectation that operator will have
sufficient cover arrangements
• Option for LCC to provide cover
(emergency cover)
• Charges 30% of contract price
Taxi Forum
Email tendering Issues
• A reminder to please quote
• You might think you won’t win because you think
the price is high or the job is out of your area, but
we do have some contracts with little interest
therefore please bid!
• If ‘you’re not in you can’t win’!
Taxi Forum
Email tendering issues
We have had a number of contractors who have recently
not been fully completing email tender returns.
Example:
Taxi Forum
Email tendering issues
Please remember to fully complete Section A before
returning your email tender.
If you do not you may not win the tender even if you are the
lowest price i.e. if we do not know who you are or what you
can offer in respect of vehicles and escorts etc; we cannot
chase round seeking clarification. In these cases we may
simply go to the next nearest lowest quote from an operator
who has completed the form correctly.
Taxi Forum
Forthcoming academic year 2014-15
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Contract planning already underway
Changes kept to a minimum
Some changes unavoidable
Parents views sought (considered)
Email Tender evaluation
Taxi Forum
DBS (CRB) Update
• New DBS system now in place
• Requirements of taxi operators, drivers
and escorts (disclosures)
Taxi Forum
Training Update
• Safeguarding (Contact Visits) – Mark Goddard
• Other Training Courses
Taxi Forum
Compliance – Issues of the moment 1
• Requirement of taxi operator to provide updated
information about their business (Selling, change of
address, factoring arrangements, etc)
• Requirement of taxi operator to provide updated
information about their taxi passengers (change of
address, no longer attending, change of provision
required)
• Child seat provision
• Driver registration scheme – contractors are reminded to
notify the STG when setting on drivers who are new to
them, or indeed when drivers leave them.
Taxi Forum
Compliance – Issues of the moment 2
• Safeguarding
– Facebook™, Twitter™ and the internet
– SMS text, Mobile phones
• ‘Guidelines’ leaflets have been updated and are available
online on our website.
• Operators not contactable during office hours
• ‘E’ cigarettes: not allowed
Taxi Forum
eAuctions
• No plans to use eAuction tender process for
2014-15
• Contracts will be tendered by Email Tender
• eAuctioning still part of Council’s tendering
portfolio
Taxi Forum
Invoicing – The EMSS project
Leicestershire County Council and Nottingham City Council
have entered into a partnership - East Midlands Shared
Services (EMSS) - to provide finance and HR/Payroll
transactional services to their respective councils.
• LCC aware of problems with the new system
• Have worked hard to solve issues and now more
streamlined.
• Any remaining issues can be channelled through the
Business Development & Support Team
Taxi Forum
Working Group nominations
• Remit of the working group:
– For both the Authority and taxi companies to gain an insight and
understanding of the aspects of contract work that are important to them
and work together to address any general issues that may arise
– For LCC to pass on information on relevant policy or legislative changes,
duty of care issues and general information affecting the taxi market
– To discuss new ways of working and to work in partnership
– To look at all aspects of LCC contract work for mutual benefit
– To share the discussion with all in the market via the published minutes
• Please contact Mark Watters or a member of staff in the STG with
your nomination.
• We are looking for 1-2 people from up to 10 companies to form the
2014/15 working group to meet 3 times between now and April 2015.
Taxi Forum
Q & A Session
Please keep questions to a “general
interest” for all here today.
Views on?
Taxi Forum
Working group nominations and further information
 See us at the end of this meeting or make an appointment
 By phone: 0116 3050001 and ask for the Business Development & Support
Team
 By email: STG@leics.gov.uk
 In writing:
Business Development & Support Team
Sustainable Travel Group
Environment & Transport Department
Leicestershire County Council
County Hall
Glenfield
Leicester LE3 8RJ
Our website:
www.leics.gov.uk/highways/passenger_transport