Taxi Driver Online

Quite interesting for trade geeks (I've decided to stop using the word 'anorak' in favour of something more modern and widespread ).

But for the average reader of this newspaper's website?

And even for us anoraks it's not a particularly interesting example.

And imagine if every local paper featured everything as mundane as this about the trade.

(Not the best quality photos either...)


South Cumbrian taxi licence application despite age of van

https://www.nwemail.co.uk/news/26505497 ... e-age-van/

A south Cumbrian taxi firm has asked for permission for a new licence from the council, despite the vehicle being older than the council allows.


Image: Economical Taxis/The Mail

Economical Taxis has a Ford Tourneo Custom 300, based on a Transit van, which was first registered in April 2014.

The van, which now has just shy of 160,000 miles, had been licensed as a hackney carriage since April 13 that year.

But Westmorland and Furness Council policy is for hackney carriage and private hire vehicles to be no older than a decade.

Taxi companies and drivers can apply for the council to grant a licence contrary to the vehicle age limit policy if it is satisfied the vehicle is: suitable in type, size and design for use as a hackney carriage, in a suitable mechanical condition, safe and comfortable.


Image: Economical Taxis/The Mail

The council’s South Lakeland regulatory sub-committee will decide upon the application on Friday, September 4 at 10am.

The licensing officer noted in the report on the application that previous regulatory sub-committees in September 2024 and 2025 allowed the age limit policy to be dispensed with for 12 months in respect of the van, meaning this is the third application for it.

An employee of Economical Taxis, which is based in Flookburgh, wrote a letter accompanying the application.


Image: Economical Taxis/The Mail

It reads: “We know this vehicle does not meet the current taxi policy because of its age, but as you can see by the pictures, it is in very good condition.

“We are a small business which has been operating for over 30 years and we serve our local community, most of which are elderly and rely on us to take them places such as doctors, hospitals and shopping.”

The letter added the safety of their clients is ‘most important’ to the company.

The committee will meet at Kendal Town Hall on September 4 to decide on the application.

Final line there makes it sound like the committee is meeting just to decide this application

(And I don't think the terminology in the piece is quite right, because it's presumably a renewal, while the phraseology make it sound like a new application.)

Somehow doubt that. But, anyway, shouldn't this be delegated, unless it's actually knocked back by officials and the applicants aren't happy?

They’d have a much better chance if it was Euro 6 and/or a WAV.