The Sustainable Travel Group

Welcome to:

Taxi Operators’ Forum

7th May 2013

Taxi Forum

Introductions

Dave Smith (Chair)Team Leader – Quality Team

Mark Watters Team Leader – Business Development & Support

Ashley Holland Team Leader – Contracts

Peter HainesQuality Officer – Quality Team

Nick ChadwickQuality Officer – Quality Team

Taxi Forum

Agenda

• Housekeeping– Please turn mobiles off, no fire drills expected

– Please hold all questions until the very end

• Review of the year• Presentations from myself, Mark, Ash, Peter and

Nick• Questions and Answers / Your Views session

Taxi Forum

Review of 2012/13 (with the help of the Working Group)

• Many schools changing to Academies• Changes to SEN Policy• eAuction Pilot (October 2012)

• Renewal of the SV3 Framework• Yet more CRB/DBS changes• More guidance issued: Contact visits; Safeguarding

Taxi Forum

Small Vehicle Framework SV3

• Welcome to new operators

• Framework started 1st May 2013

• Summary of results– 325 operators applied– 8 duplicate applications– 317 operators accepted onto the Framework

(30% more than on SV2)

Taxi Forum

Forthcoming Taxi Opportunities

• Summer Reviews

• Email Tenders

• eAuctions

• Training• DRT (Demand Responsive Taxis)

• Proposals are subject to political approval• A few (bus services) into many (DRT)• Opportunities for work after 09:30 and before 15:30

Taxi Forum

Email tendering issuesWe have had a number of contractors who have recently not been fully completing email tender returns.

Example:

Taxi Forum

Email tendering issues

Please remember to fully complete Section A before returning your email tender.

If you do not you may not win the tender even if you are the lowest price i.e. if we do not know who you are or what you can offer in respect of vehicles and escorts etc; we cannot chase round seeking clarification. In these cases we may simply go to the next nearest lowest quote from an operator who has completed the form correctly.

Taxi Forum

Changes to SEN Policyfrom September 2013

• Introduction of charges to under 5s and 16+• Application of 2 mile and 3 mile rules in line with Mainstream policy• Transport will only be provided to and from one main home address

Taxi Forum

DBS & Safeguarding Update

• Continuous monitoring will be introduced in the ‘summer’

• Heightened public awareness of ‘safeguarding’ concerns

• Make sure you do not put yourselves or your drivers and escorts at risk

• Beware of how sensitive carers can be!

Taxi Forum

Compliance – Issues of the moment 1

• Reporting any changes to contract details (which have not been passed to you by STG). Taxi companies should always seek STG permission for any change – even if there is no change in the contract price.

• We have become aware of cases where the student has moved address but has continued to be transported – only discovered when the contract was re-tendered. A previous example landing the operator with a large bill as the child ceased to be eligible as an address change took them out of the County.

• Another example was when a child started to travel in a wheelchair but as the taxi operator incidentally supplied a wheelchair accessible vehicle he did not inform STG.

Taxi Forum

Compliance – Issues of the moment 2

• Licencing - not only do vehicles and drivers need to have the relevant licences and insurances – so do operators to actually hold a contract with the Council. We have identified contractors whose Private Hire Operators Licence has lapsed since securing contracts. In such case we have to terminate the contracts they hold and suspend them from securing further.

• Novation of Contracts and company changes.

Taxi Forum

Compliance – Issues of the moment 3

• Subcontracting• Operators are expected to seek the prior

approval before subcontracting Council contracts• The operator holding the contract remains

responsible for the operation of the contract• This includes making sure the vehicle and

driver/escort used are suitable and the reliability of operation (and the following of contract instructions).

Taxi Forum

Compliance – Issues of the moment 4

• Driver and Escort Identity Badges• Drivers are expected to wear their taxi driver ID badges

when on LCC contract in such a way as the badge is clearly visible.

• Escorts should wear their LCC issued ID badge, clearly visible when working on LCC contracts. These badges have a safety snap away feature

• All staff used on LCC contracts should be declared to STG so that brief details can be held on our driver and escort database (this also records incidents on contract , training attended).

Taxi Forum

Child Safety

Issue:

The importance of fitting child seats correctly.

A demonstration of proper fitting.

Nick Chadwick.

Taxi Forum

Training Update

• STG will run more ‘Helping Hands’ courses during the year, both during school terms and in school holidays

• The content of these courses is constantly being refreshed to keep abreast of changes affecting contract operation

• The courses continue to be free of charge for all

Taxi Forum

Safer Travel

• Safer Travel are looking at the new SEN intake to assess their transport needs for August.

• Whilst we will try to give as much ‘helpful’ information as possible operators will very quickly know more than we do about how a child responds to their new transport environment.

• Operators can help us by telling us those things that have not appeared on the ‘official order’ but which need to be properly addressed, e.g. child travels with medication, possibility of fitting, allergy etc.

Taxi Forum

eAuctions - overview• Works like eBay™ in reverse, but requires

‘live bidding’ at a preset day and time• Requires operators to be registered on the

‘web portal’• Will still be tendering by email as can only

eAuction the more ‘stable’ contracts – will give longer termination notice too

• Pilot was successful last Oct• Full support will be given by STG and online

training also available

Taxi Forum

eAuctions

Operator Benefits

• Operators are able to submit numerous bids• Operators are able to react in a live environment• Able to calculate a price for a contract prior to the eAuction• Operators may win a contract at a higher price than the price

you would have won during a normal tender• Open and transparent• Operators know almost immediately if they are in contention to

win a contract or not and can focus their resources accordingly• Contracts will remain in place if there are no significant

changes • Notice period of contracts tendered through the eAuctions will

be extended to 1 calendar month by either party• Become eligible to be considered for an annual inflationary

price increase

Taxi Forum

eAuctions

How it works

• Due North Web Portal • Tenders will be grouped into areas based on the

Leicestershire Districts where possible• Contracts published on LCC website before the

auction• Interested operators must register to participate• Registered participants will then be invited to

participate in the event• Training eAuction available prior to live event

Taxi Forum

eAuctionsHow it works – Bidding

• Bidding for all contracts in the eAuction will start and finish together

• The eAuction will last initially for 30 minutes• All bidding is legally binding and all bidding is anonymous• Participants must not get carried away with the bidding,

and keep a close eye on their rank position• Participants in winning position will be notified that they

are in position “1”• If more than one participant has submitted the lowest

price, then they will be notified that they are in position “=1”

• Note that there is a minimum £250 penalty if you win an eAuction and withdraw before the start of the contract or within a month of its start

Taxi Forum

Taxi Forum

Invoicing – The EMSS project

Leicestershire County Council and Nottingham City Council have entered into a partnership - East Midlands Shared Services (EMSS) - to provide finance and HR/Payroll transactional services to their respective councils.

• One aspect of this partnership is an improved, streamlined process for ordering and paying for goods and services. • Cheque payments being phased out, new payments will be made by BACS• All invoice queries should be directed to the EMSS in the first

instance on 0300 30 30 222

Taxi Forum

Invoicing

• Template and instructions are on our website• Reminder that contract payment terms are 30 days (unless you want to

join the 1% discount scheme).• Please note that we also expect operators to bill in good time – very

late invoices won’t be paid (12+ months)• Audits across all services

– Contacting schools/parents/carers to confirm travel– Spot checks on site (also for quality compliance)– Returning incorrect invoices (thus delaying payment)

• If your contract changes – please tell us!• Note that August (1 or 2 days only) school transport invoices should be

added to September’s bill.

Taxi Forum

Invoicing

Mainstream, SEN and Social Care Invoices should be sent to:InvoicesBusiness Development & Support TeamSustainable Travel GroupEnvironment & Transport Department

Leicestershire County CouncilCounty HallGlenfieldLeicester LE3 8RJ

Do NOT use our PO Box 1151 address (This PO Box address no longer exists)Do NOT email invoices

Taxi Forum

Invoicing

DRT Invoices should be sent to:

Leicestershire County Council

PO Box 507

Sale

M33 0DJ

• These invoices should clearly display the purchase order number• Monitoring forms can continue to be posted, emailed or faxed to

the Sustainable Travel Group• Invoices will not be paid without corresponding monitoring forms

Taxi Forum

1% Scheme details

• Started in June 2012 • Only for schools (mainstream and SEN) and

social care services• Will pay within 14 days of invoice receipt in

exchange for 1% discount• Operators can withdraw with 1 month’s

notice

Taxi Forum

Concessionary Travel Vouchers

• At the moment no change in policy• Current vouchers expire 31st August• Operators have 2 weeks after that to reimburse

them with us.

Taxi Forum

Working Group nominations

• Remit of the working group:– For both the Authority and taxi companies to gain an insight and understanding of the aspects of contract work that are important to them and work together to address any general issues that may arise

– For LCC to pass on information on relevant policy or legislative changes, duty of care issues and general information affecting the taxi market

– To discuss new ways of working and to work in partnership

– To look at all aspects of LCC contract work for mutual benefit

– To share the discussion with all in the market via the published minutes

• Please contact a member of staff in the STG with your nomination. • We are looking for 1-2 people from up to 10 companies to form the

2013/14 working group to meet 3 times between now and April 2014.

Taxi Forum

Q & A Session

Taxi Forum

Working group nominations and further information

See us at the end of this meeting or make an appointment By phone: 0116 3050001 and ask for the Business Development & Support Team By email: STG@leics.gov.uk In writing:

Business Development & Support Team

Sustainable Travel Group

Environment & Transport Department

Leicestershire County Council

County Hall

Glenfield

Leicester LE3 8RJ

Our website: www.leics.gov.uk/highways/passenger_transport