“This Council believes that residents in Oxfordshire should
have the greatest possible choice of transport available to them.
This Council notes Oxford City Council's refusal to grant
licenses to new entrants in the private-hire market including peer-to-peer
ridesharing apps. As these services need a critical mass to be successful, the
decision by the City Council is having a detrimental effect on the other areas
of the County, including all the district areas, and thus contributing to rural
isolation by depriving people of services and choice.
This Council calls on the Leader of the Council to write to:
(a)
The Leaders of Oxford City Council and all district councils with
a view to ensuring that consumers enjoy a greater choice of private-hire services
by extending licenses for new entrants to that market and by assisting this
Council’s efforts in extending the provision of bus services in the light of
new legislation that has already enabled successful innovative services in the
County.
(b)
The County's commercial and community bus operators with a view to
widening the availability of bus services in the County, including
hop-on-hop-off services, and to relevant partners as above, including also
parishes and prospective community groups, so as to encourage the provision of
new services. This has already shown to be a great success with the initiatives
such as the Pick Me Up Service and this should be extended to other areas of
the County.”
Minutes:
With the consent of Council, Councillor Reeves moved and Councillor Price seconded an alteration to his motion at the suggestion of Councillor Price as shown in bold italics and strikethrough below:
This Council notes Oxford City
Council's refusal to grant licenses to new entrants in the private-hire market
including peer-to-peer ridesharing apps. As these services need a critical mass
to be successful, the decision by the City Council is having a detrimental
effect on the other areas of the County, including all the district areas, and
thus contributing to rural isolation by depriving people of services and
choice.
This Council calls on the Leader
of the Council to write to:
(a) The Leaders of Oxford City
Council and all district councils with a view to ensuring that residents
consumers enjoy have a diverse range of accessible transport
options, which could include the licensing of private
hire vehicles for new entrants into the market, to meet their varied needs and support greater choice of private-hire services by extending licenses for
new entrants to that market and by assisting this Council’s efforts in extending the provision of bus services
in the light of new legislation that has already enabled successful innovative
services in the County.
(b) The County's commercial and
community bus operators with a view to widening the availability of bus services
in the County, including hop-on-hop-off services, and to relevant partners as
above, including also parishes and prospective community groups, so as to
encourage the provision of new services. This has already shown to be a great
success with the initiatives such as the Pick Me Up Service and this should be
extended to other areas of the County.”
Following debate, the motion as amended was put to the vote and was carried by 53 to 0, with 3 abstentions.
RESOLVED: (53 to 0, with 3 abstentions)
“This Council believes that residents in Oxfordshire should
have the greatest possible choice of transport available to them.
This Council calls on the Leader of the Council to write to:
(a) The Leaders of Oxford City
Council and all district councils with a view to ensuring that residents have a diverse range of
accessible transport options, which could include the licensing of
private hire vehicles for new entrants into the market, to meet their
varied needs and support this Council’s efforts in extending the provision of bus services
in the light of new legislation that has already enabled successful innovative
services in the County.
(b)
The County's commercial and community bus operators with a view to
widening the availability of bus services in the County, including hop-on-hop-off
services, and to relevant partners as above, including also parishes and
prospective community groups, so as to encourage the provision of new services.
This has already shown to be a great success with the initiatives such as the
Pick Me Up Service and this should be extended to other areas of the County.”