COVID-19: Important information
The public should avoid travel unless absolutely essential at this time. The only reasons to leave our houses are set out in the government guidance.
If absolutely necessary to travel by taxi or private hire vehicle, best efforts should be used to follow the guidance as far as is practically possible, including washing your hands as soon as you get home.
Critical Worker Status
Taxi and private hire drivers should not generally be considered Critical Workers. Those undertaking Home to School transport or the transport of ‘extremely vulnerable’ people may be considered Critical Workers on a case-by-case basis. Critical Workers should also whenever possible make suitable arrangements for their children to stay at home and requests for children to attend school should be discussed with the school.
Vehicle Licensing
New arrangements take effect from Monday 30th March and will remain in place until further notice. The vehicle testing stations have shown great co-operation with us at this difficult time, for which we are thankful, and it is only with their co-operation that we have been able to formulate this plan. The new process is as follows.
Vehicle Licensing Process
• When your licence is due present your vehicle to the testing station to be tested in the normal way
• You must also take with you evidence of current insurance i.e. your insurance documents.
• The testing station will complete with you a proforma to collect up to date contact details such as name, address, email and telephone number
• If the car passes the testing station will email the One Stop Shop attaching a copy of the test certificate, the vehicle insurance and the contact proforma
• You will then be contacted by the One Stop Shop and requested to make payment over the telephone
• Once successful payment has been made you will receive confirmation details which you will be able to use as evidence of a current licence until your plates arrive, so must be carried with you at all times you are working.
• The plate will be posted to the address given on your contact proforma
Driver Licensing
All drivers will have their licence automatically extended for 6 months when it comes due for renewal. Drivers will be notified by email where we hold an email address and receive a letter through the post where we don’t have an email address which confirms this extension. Drivers will be expected to carry this email/letter with them whilst they are working as evidence they hold a current licence. No payment will be required for this extension at the moment, however when the extension expires, assuming things have returned to something more “normal”, the payment for the 6 month extension will be collected with any renewal fee at that stage.
Operator Licensing
All operator licences will also have their licence automatically extended for 6 months with similar requirements regarding payment as drivers.
Hackney Carriage Plate Owners
If any Hackney Carriage plate owner wants to put their licence/plate on hold then please contact the One Stop Shop via email
TaxiLicensingadmin-Bootleoss@sefton.gov.uk with your request.
If anyone has made a SORN then send a copy through and we will make a note on file.
There is no need to re-test or re-licence the vehicle during this time and if the plate lapses during the time ‘on hold’ we will treat as a normal renewal on whatever date a fresh licence is issued.
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