Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver's Licence.

Information

Members of the travelling public place a lot of trust in the driver of the licensed vehicle they get into. Therefore the Council insists on high standards from an applicant for a driver's licence.

You must be:

• Over 21 years of age and have held a full DVLA driving licence for at least three years.

Convictions:

Basildon Council gives guidance with regard to the relevance of previous convictions and cautions. See:

• Licences to drive Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles: Guidelines relating to the relevance of convictions and cautions (PDF) [547KB] (opens new window)

How To Apply

You can obtain a copy of the application form plus an information sheet by contacting the Licensing Team in either of the following ways:

• By email:   licensing@basildon.gov.uk
• By phone:  01268 206925
• By visiting: Basildon Borough Council, The Basildon Centre, St Martin's Square, Basildon, Essex. SS14 1DL
• By Downloading the Adobe Acrobat document Application Form - Combined Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Driver's Licence (PDF) [293KB] (opens new window)

An applications pack is available from any of the Customer Service Staff in the foyer of the Basildon Centre.

All applications require an interview to check original documents and for a photograph to be taken in preparation for the issue of the badge. Please telephone the Licensing Team on 01268 206925 to make an appointment.

Pre-Application Assessment

All applicants will be required to sit a pre-application assessment in relation to communication and numeracy skills.  This assessment is a pre-requisite to the application form being accepted.  Where an applicant fails to meet the minimum requirement of this assessment the application form will not be accepted. Should you find yourself in this position, the Interviewing Officer can provide further guidance as to what the next steps are.

At your interview we will need to see:

• Your DVLA driving licence
• Your passport (if applicable)
• Your full birth certificate
• A completed Disclosure and Barring Service Application form***
• If you are a married woman, a copy of your marriage certificate
• Proof that you are entitled to remain and seek work in the UK
• An original letter showing your proof of address

We will also need you to:

• Sign a Mandate Form in order that a check can be made through the Driving and Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA)

***At present it is not possible to download a Disclosure and Barring Service Application form from either this website or the GOV.UK - Disclosure & Barring Service. You will need to apply for your check to be carried out via Basildon Council — TaxiPlus. There is a cost of £53 which can be paid directly online.   Online support is available to help you to complete this check.

Disclosure and Barring Update Service

All applicants for a combined hackney carriage and private hire drivers licence will be required to sign up to the DBS Online Update Service.  This is a mandatory requirement which will require you to register with the Disclosure and Barring Service online within 30 days from the issue of your DBS Certificate (provided by the DBS).  To register for the DBS Update Service, applicants will be required to pay the current registration fee (£13), which is payable direct to the DBS Service.  Payment is taken initially by card, there is no option for direct debit payments.  By selecting the option to automatically renew a subscription, the DBS will store your card details to take the £13* subscription on an annual basis.  It will be your responsibility to ensure that those payment details remain current and valid i.e. if you change your payment card over the course of the year, the DBS will not be able to take your annual subscription.  *annual fee may be subject to change by the DBS service.

Returning Your Completed Application and Other Required Documents

Please telephone us on 01268 206925 to make an appointment to submit your application.

Please do not post your completed application form to the Licensing Office.
We will need to see you in person when you hand in your application and all of the necessary additional documents mentioned above. This enables us to interview you, check your original documents and get your photograph taken in preparation for the issue of your badge.

Fees

The current fee for a new applicant is £297 for a 3 year licence or £225.00 for a 1 year licence.

The cost covers the application fee, all administration work, knowledge tests and the issue of a badge and licence which expire 3 years after the date of issue.

In addition to this you will need to pay for a Disclosure and Barring Service check which currently costs £38 (although this fee is set by the Disclosure and Barring Service and is subject to change). Once you have completed your knowledge test you will also need to arrange to undertake a Group 2 medical assessment, a Passenger Assistance Training Course (PATs) and a Driving Assessment.

Immigration Status

Right to Work Checks.

All applications for hackney carriage and private hire drivers licences and private hire vehicle operators licences in the UK, including licence renewals, will have to undergo an immigration check.

Basildon Council, as the licensing authority, must by law ensure that all hackney carriage and private hire drivers licence holders and persons who operate private hire vehicle operators licences have the legal right to work in the UK.  This applies to both new applicants and those applying for the renewal of a licence.

All applicants will be subject to the same checks at the beginning of the application process to ensure that they have a legal right to work in the UK and all licensing authorities across the UK will be applying this legislation.

For those with no restrictions on the right to work (for example, British Citizens or those with current Biometric Immigration Documents indicating they are allowed to stay indefinitely in the UK), an immigration check should be straight forward.  They will need to show their original British passport or current Biometric Immigration Document with their application.  Those with restrictions on the right to work in the UK will need to show original documentation confirming their rights and restrictions.

To see a schedule of documents that the licensing authority will accept before we will undertake a Right to Work check and a Disclosure and Baring Service (DBS) check, see Schedule of Documents needed for Right to Work check - 01-12-2016 (PDF) [197KB] (opens new window)

If applicants have any questions, concerns or need confirmation about what documents are required for either the right to work check or a DBS check, please contact the Licensing Team on 01268 206925

Passenger Assistance Training Certificate

Applicants for a Combined Drivers Licence will also need a Passenger Assistance Training (PATS) Certificate.

PATS stands for Passenger Assistant Training Scheme. It has been developed out of MiDAS, the Minibus Driver Awareness Scheme. MiDAS is a nationally successful training programme developed in the early 1990's for minibus drivers. The aim of both PATS and MiDAS is to improve safety standards for people who need assistance, care and supervision on the move.

   
Further details will be provided for you at your interview

Driving Test

A applicants are required to pass a driving assessments for hackney carriage and private hire drivers.  Further details will be provided at your interview.

Knowledge Test

Applicants for a Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers' licence will be required to undergo a knowledge test.

As a licensed driver you will be expected to know your way round the Basildon Borough with some degree of competence. The travelling public have a right to expect that.

We do not expect you to have the same depth of knowledge as London cab drivers.

This is not a written test.

The test will take approximately 35 minutes, but please allow 90 minutes, to include time for setting up and debriefing.  Knowledge tests are held at The Basildon Centre, St Martin's Square, Basildon, by an authorised Officer.

Any applicant who is not successful at their first attempt will be allowed to retake the test. Applicants can take a maximum of four tests at two week intervals.

Most applicants attain the required level within 4-6 weeks if they make a committed effort.

See also: Driver Knowledge Test for further information.

Medical Examination

Once you have completed the knowledge test you will have to pass a Group 2 medical at an independent clinic approved by the Council.

The clinic currently used by the council is Cotswold Medicals Limited. Please telephone them on 01454 317436 Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm to book your group 2 medical assessment.

You will be responsible for paying for your medical assessment and for any cancellation charge should you not attend. You will need to make a payment by debit or credit card when you book the appointment.

You will need to take the following to your medical assessment:

• The medical questionnaire (supplied by Basildon Borough Council)
• A small sample of urine
• Your glasses if you need them for driving
• If you wear contact lenses you will need to take your kit with you so that you can take them out, because you also need to be tested without your lenses in
• Any prescribed medicines that you are taking
• Details of any medical treatment that you are currently receiving

Applicants Who Have Spent Time Outside The UK

Before the local authority grants a drivers licence it must be satisfied that the applicant is a 'fit and proper' person to hold a licence. The Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976 allows the licensing authority a certain amount of flexibility in determining what they can take into account in making this judgement.

In November 2009, Basildon Council adopted a policy for dealing with applicants for new and renewal drivers licences who have spent significant periods of time outside the UK. This is because the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) remit does not extend outside the UK, so any history of criminal behaviour would not be revealed. The policy applies to persons who have spent time in both EU and non EU countries, see  Policy - Applicants Who Have Spent Time Outside The UK (PDF) [212KB] (opens new window)   Basildon Council - Guidance Notes for Overseas Applicants - Dec 2016 (PDF) [115KB] (opens new window)

Further information and enquiries

• Taxi Driver Personal Safety (PDF) [962KB] (opens new window)

For further information and enquiries see contact details below...