Taxi Driver Online

the law of the land states that the minimum tread depth on a tyre is 1.6 millimetre.

City of Lincoln council intend to introduce a minimum tread depth for taxi and private hire vehicles of 3mm.

Got to wonder how this would be enforceable.

Anywhere else happening is this, as yoda might not say?

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Former taxi driver

Thats discrimination.
If 1.6 mms is not deemed adequate minimum for a taxi or private hire vehicle then it's not safe minimum for any vehicle.
If it is safe minimum for any vehicle then so be it.
I mean are a couple with three kids safe and secure in their vw passat with 2mm tread until they put phc plates on it Doh where do councils get the carp they come out with.

They tried this in South Derbyshire a year ago. I will speak to my mate there and see what came of it. I do know that it didn't get through at 3mm.

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Grandad,

Complain to the Ombudsman.

I would ask why 3mm, not 2.8mm or 5mm?

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IDFIMH

It's a RoSPA thing. They "recommend" a 3mm minimum tread depth, as do, unsurprisingly, the tyre manufacturers, and Halfords, Kwik fit, and other tyre fitters. It would be curious if they thought otherwise. Changing the LEGAL limit from 1.6 to 3mm would increase tyre sales overnight by 20 to 25%.
Personally, I tend to change tyres when they are down to 2mm or a little more, not wishing to be checked to find I'm running on an illegal tyre or two, (four) we all know how quickly tyres go from legal to illegal within days.
If the legal, (or quasi legal) limit was 3mm I would be starting to worry about tyres when they were down to 5mm and below. And consider a new tyre has only 8mm to start with!

But my question is, if my cab was checked by the council, or the police, or whoever, what sanction could they possibly impose if one or more of my tyres has a tread of less than 3mm. It's not illegal so how could they impose a penalty that went against the law of the land?

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Former taxi driver

I believe that this was the argument put forward in South Derbyshire.

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Grandad,

I think I'm right in saying that this is the limit in Germany.

It does raise the question though that if a taxi was to fail an mot due to tread depth being say 2.5mm how would this sit with VOSA who oversea MOT testing can they operate effectively with 2 standards at the same testing station or does Lincoln operate a public one ?

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

A council cannot impose a more stringent law than that imposed by the law of the land.

They can at test..

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!