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Criteria for Selection and removal of approved testing stations

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 Criteria for approved taxi and private hire testing stations

  1. The Testing Premises must be within the geographical boundaries of Hyndburn
  2. The Testing Premises must have been a registered DVSA testing station for a minimum of 12 months and hold a Green DVSA risk rating. The Testing Premises must also be VAT registered.
  3. The Testing Premises must have a DVSA authorised test lane and 2 DVSA approved testers with green risk ratings. A minimum of 1 authorised tester will be available at all times when the Testing Premises are open.
  4. Testing will be carried out strictly in accordance with DVSA standards and HBC’S supplementary testing manual (a copy of the testing manual will be supplied to the Testing Premises by HBC, together with details of any future changes to the testing manual).
  5. The Testing Premises must be able to carry out a minimum of 5 full tests per day, Monday to Friday, and 2 full tests on Saturday. All appointments for tests will be made by the customer directly with the Testing Premises.
  6. In accordance with DVSA standards, the Testing Premises must have a dedicated clean and comfortable waiting area for drivers, along with separate customer sanitary facilities.
  7. The Testing Premises must be able to supply and issue compliance certificates or failure certificates, the cost of which is to be included in the test fee. HBC will supply the necessary templates which must be used by the Testing Premises for the certificates. The Testing Premises will issue a certificate to the driver / vehicle owner and a copy of the certificate must be sent to HBC’s Licensing Section digitally on the day of issue. A reliable method (ie broadband connection) must be in place to allow for this information to be emailed to HBC.
  8. The Testing Premises must be able to provide pass / failure data to HBC’s Licensing Section on a monthly basis. HBC will supply the Testing Premises with a template for the supply of this information.
  9. The Testing Premises must have a rigorous appeals procedure in operation for DVSA items. Appeals relating to items covered by HBC’s supplementary testing manual must be referred to HBC’s Licensing Section for investigation and resolution.
  10. The Testing Premises must have a customer complaints procedure in operation. Complaints records should be kept by the Testing Premises for taxi related complaints for a minimum of 12 months from the date of the complaint and the Testing Premises must make it’s complaints records available to HBC’s Licensing Section upon request.
  11. The Testing Premises must hold public liability insurance up to £5 million, and employer liability insurance for £1 million. The Testing Premises will supply evidence of its insurance cover to HBC’s Licensing Section upon request.
  12. Basic DBS disclosures must be provided to HBC by the Testing Premises annually in respect of the testers and the owners of the Testing Premises.
  13. Quarterly progress meetings will be held with HBC’s Licensing Officers to assess the Testing Premises’ performance and procedures. In addition, an annual inspection of the Testing Premises will be made by HBC’s Licensing Officers. The Testing Premises must facilitate and co-operate with all such meeting and inspections
  14. All written records relating to taxi testing will be retained by the Testing Premises for 3 years, and produced to HBC on request.
  15. The Testing Premises must not be owned, controlled or managed by (or have any form of commercial link with) anyone who is registered as a taxi operator, driver or vehicle owner. Similarly, the testers must not be registered as a taxi operator, driver or vehicle owner. The Testing Premises will be required to sign a declaration to this affect with their application and then annually every year afterwards as part of HBC’s ongoing monitoring arrangements.
  16. The Testing Premises must notify HBC’s Licensing Team immediately if there is any change in the ownership, control or management of the Testing Premises. Similarly, the Testing Premises must notify HBC immediately if the Testing Premises become owned, manged or controlled by someone who is registered as a taxi operator, driver or vehicle owner and if any of the testers become registered as a taxi operator, driver or vehicle owner.
  17. The Testing Premises must have either a viewing area for the MOT testing lane or a camera system offering a clear view of the testing area.
  18. The Testing Premises must enter into a data sharing agreement with HBC in respect of the sharing of personal data with HBC in connection with the matters set out above. HBC will supply the template for the data sharing agreement.

Criteria for removal of approved testing station status

The Council reserves the right to remove the Testing Premises designation as an Approved Testing Station if it is satisfied that this is necessary in the interest of public safety or to maintain public confidence in either the safety of licensed vehicles in the Borough and / or the integrity of the taxi testing process.

Without limitation to the above, and by way of example only, Approved Testing Station Status may be removed for the following reasons:

  • Connection of the Testing Premises or the testers to the taxi / private hire trade
  • Convictions received by anyone involved in ownership, management or control of the Testing Premises, including tax offences, immigration offences or offences relating to modern slavery
  • Convictions received by the testers or tester links to the taxi / private hire trade
  • Involvement in modern slavery or immigration offences
  • Loss of DVSA green status
  • Authorised testers decreasing below the minimum required number
  • False statements made during the application process
  • Failure to supply requested information to HBC
  • Any conviction for fraud
  • Evidence of the Testers and / or Testing Premises accepting bribes or inducements from customers or otherwise acting in a way that could affect public confidence in the integrity of the testing process
  • High level of complaints made against the Testing Premises or its testers
  • Failure to maintain standards at the Testing Premises, including failure to comply with the requirements of the supplementary testing manual
  • Repeated occasions of vehicles found to be not of the required standard following recent testing at the Testing Premises