Taxi Driver Online

Scottish Borders council, will not allow a purpouse built taxi on after 7 years, we have argued that they cannot do that as there are still black cabs running that are up to 30 years old, and we belive that we would be the only area in the uk that restricts black cabs they say that they will refuse the licence for it and that is final, they also restrict the saloon s to that age as well what can we do if anything

I think that's a bit harsh, and the council shouldn't have hard and fast rules, such as that one.

All licensing decisions should never be set in stone, any sensible licensing officer should never 'fetter his descetion'. In other words if they do, a court could view them as being un-reasonable.

I would try mentioning the 'Treaty of Rome' to them, or else give the Ombudsman a go. It costs the price of a stamp.

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IDFIMH

There are still saloon cars running that are 100 years old, but that doesn't mean that they should be used as taxis.

I think there are quite a few LAs with PB age restrictions, at least in England, but the Borders rule does seem on the stringent side.

It's about time this mishmash of rules throughout the country were done away with, but it'll take a few years yet.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I'm not a fan of a policy that excludes perfectly roadworthy vehicles from plying for hire as Taxis. I've always been a firm believer that age does not necessarily mean a vehicle is un-roadworthy. I can't speak for some saloon type vehicles but in respect of black cabs restricting them to seven years regardless of what mileage they have done is rigid in the extreme.

Regards

JD

Here in Renfrewshire (Paisley & Glasgow Airport) the rules are as follows

The holder of a taxi licence shall use as a taxi only an FX4 Metropolitan type vehicle or any other vehicle of a type which has received the prior approval of the licensing authority. From 1 January 2002, all vehicles to be licensed as taxis shall:-

(i) be coloured white;
(ii) be wheelchair accessible and either custom built taxis such as FX4’s or Metro cabs or alternatively MPV’s (multi person vehicles) of a type approved by the licensing authority;
(iii) be less than 8 years old from the date of first registration of the vehicle where that vehicle is wheelchair accessible and otherwise be less than 5 years old (the latter age limit to apply only from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2003 to non-wheelchair accessible taxis which were licensed prior to 1 January 2002); and
(iv) be subject to 6 monthly inspections as from the time they are 5 years old from the date of first registration.


I feel that the age restrictions could be challenged in Court as they Civic Government act does not mention vehicle age

CIVIC GOVERNMENT (SCOTLAND) ACT 1982
LICENSING AND REGULATION OF TAXIS AND PRIVATE HIRE CARS

s 10 Taxi and private hire car licences.

(2) A licensing authority shall not grant or renew a taxi licence or
private hire car licence unless they are satisfied that the vehicle to which
the licence is to relate is suitable in type, size and design for use as a
taxi or private hire car, as the case may be, and is safe for that use, and
that there is in force in relation to the vehicle such a policy of insurance
or such security as complies with Part VI of the Road Traffic Act 1972.

All the best

A £30'000 vehicle that has to be replaced every 7 years? Yikes! you must work hard to get a return on that.

Still, if anyone is selling their V / W reg TX1, give me a shout!

30 years old? I've not seen one in London that old, passed a 'B' reg Carbodies tonight, that's about the oldest i've seen recently, the Euro 3 implementation date will see the last of these going I suspect, including mine.

Spare a thought for Glasgow operators where its 5 years.

However when Glasgow City Council introduced the age restriction it applied only to new vehicle applications which means if you had a vehicle in the system prior to the new rule you can keep it on the road for as long as it passes the C.O.F test

Incidently all taxis in Glasgow have to be W.A.V. & at the moment only TX and Eurocabs are allowed

All the best

Was at a south west reg meeting a few months seems that the dda 95 which is gonna come in says that all wavs have to have forward facing wheel chairs.. ummm!!! that will go down well..

Someone also made the point of phone as many of the wheel chair manufactors that they could find in the uk to ask if they could say that they where safe to travel in a vehicle with a passenger in the chair. All said no they would not commit to stating they are as they are all designed for use a to b on ground and do not have proper fixed mounting/fixture points.

Hold that thought!! if the first is defintly right watch out brussels your taking away the most famous taxi in the world... Major road blocks I feel should they try the forward face stuff

Screw brussels grrr!!

Juls

Some County and Districts councils already forbid vehicles that only take wheel chairs side facing on their contract work.

By all accounts there is a video which shows an accident with a front facing wheel chair, and one from a side facing wheel chair. It appears the side facing one doesn't come out looking to good.

But if they did insist on front facing only, I'm quite sure LTI would change their design. A bit like how air bags suddenly appear in their USA versions.

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IDFIMH

Umm A black cab is rear facing??? Lift seats in turn and secure with chair back against bulk head and what about the 10's of thousands of black cabs out there already.. And think about the chassis in black cab which gives it it's shaper. Rear wheels and axel under seats. Also just to really put the spanner into it... How do wheelchair users get into town or wherever from there home... wheel themself around to try and flag a taxi in a suburb where taxis dont hang about. No they phone a private hire firm.. Umm why are they not under the same rule. They are the ones that get most wheel chair work. Some pen pusher in brussels needs his back side kick for not thinking about the whole equation and just not listen to suggestions and advice. Its all a load of bull