Unit 9: Taxi and Private Hire: The Licensing Regulations (Scotland)
Unit title: Taxi and Private Hire: The Licensing Regulations (Scotland)
Unit level: SCQF level 5
Credit: 0.5
SQA Unit code: J1GJ 45
Unit purpose
The purpose of this unit is to give drivers, operators and vehicle owners knowledge of Licensing Regulations (Scotland) to meet the conditions imposed by the licensing authority and the statutory Acts of the Scottish Parliament.
This unit is suitable candidates who currently work in the industry or are considering applying for a licence to work in the taxi and private hire industry.
The taxi and private hire industry is one of largest and most important passenger transport industries in the UK. It employs nearly half a million people providing an important and essential service in transporting customers.
The formal term for a taxi stems from bygone times when the name hackney carriage was derived from the French word haquenee meaning an ambling horse or mare.
The term cab is an abbreviation of cabriolet, a one-horse, two-wheeled carriage let out for hire. Cabs replaced hackney carriages around 1850, the most popular being the Hansom Cab.
This unit is specific to Scotland’s taxi and private hire industry. It provides the candidate with the main provisions of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and subsequent amendments including the Booking Office Order 2009. Also within the unit there are references to the 2nd edition of the ‘best practice guidance’ issued by the Justice Directive of the Scottish Government.
All licence holders whether they be drivers, vehicle owners or proprietors have to operate in a difficult regulatory territory, they have to abide by the Act of 82, they also have to be aware of legislation that is reserved for Westminster including the Equality Act 2010 or dealing with National Agencies such as DVSA or the DVLA.
The licence holder must be familiar with the licence conditions issued by their licensing authority; they must also keep themselves up to-date via the council web site on any changes that affect them as licence holders and of course provide a safe, efficient and friendly service to their customers.
