The Button Plan
The Button Plan is a simple proposal which will provide national standards for private hire licences: drivers, vehicles and operators.
This can be achieved without any new legislation, and without any involvement from Central Government.
It merely needs agreement between licensing authorities.
Key Points
Why?
National standards for private hire licences are essential for public safety. This is supported by the private hire industry, licensing authorities and the Task and Finish Group.
It is absurd and dangerous that a person can be refused a licence by one authority, but be granted it by another.
How?
A "Principal Authority" issues all private hire licences: drivers, vehicles and operators, with the agreement of the remaining "outlier" authorities, which cease issuing such licences. All outlier officers are authorised by the principal authority, allowing nationwide enforcement. All outlier costs are recharged to the principal authority.
Advantages
Public safety will improve because all licensees will be vetted and approved to the same standard.
The primary authority will require additional staff, creating jobs at no cost to the council tax payer.
Outlier authorities will need to retain all staff to administer and enforce private hire requirements on behalf of the principal authority.
Local Government Co-operation
For this to work, local authorities must be willing to co-operate. The principal authority must have good, high standards for private hire licences. Those must be accepted by the outlier authorities. These may not be the absolute highest, but will be much better than many existing standards.
Democratic accountability will be maintained by an oversight board, comprising a Councillor from each region in England and one for Wales. This will approve the policies of the Principal Authority.
Officers of outlier authorities will assess drivers, operators and vehicles on behalf of the Principal Authority
Join the campaign, find out more and keep up to date
The more people who support this proposal the better chance there is of it coming to fruition. Please sign up to add your voice. You can then access 2 documents. One gives full details of the The Button Plan, the other explains why cross border remote working is lawful. In addition, we will keep you updated of developments as when they happen.