Taxi Driver Online

Council is stretching a point on big limos

STRETCH limos used by revellers in Rotherham may need a special licence, say council bosses. More than 40 companies in the Rotherham area are known to be advertising the adapted limousines for nights out on the town.

They are particularly popular for stag and hen parties, school leaving celebrations and anniversary events. But licensing officials are worried that some of the stretch cars do not meet the necessary criteria for a private hire licence.

Under private hire licensing legislation a vehicle must have fewer than eight seats, must not be used for weddings or funerals and cannot be used like buses. Some of the cars are said to have more than eight seats, some are left-hand drive and many have blacked-out windows. Others are said to have been imported from the United States and have been modified or converted, and therefore may not meet existing rules.

A council spokesman said: "The Department of Transport leaves it up to individual local authorities whether to license these vehicles and what enforcement action it takes. "In the past few years there has been an increased use of these stretched limousines and other types of luxury vehicle on the private hire market.

"Whereas in the past limousines were used for weddings and funerals, they are now becoming a popular form of transport for days and nights out, special occasions and school leaving parties. "The services they provide are similar to those offered by private hire vehicles but there are some problems which exclude them from being licensed under our existing conditions. "It may be that some of them do not meet existing policies for private hire vehicles and we have to consider the introduction of a different set of conditions for stretched limousines.

"Public safety is paramount. If we do decide to licence these vehicles we must be satisfied we can do so safely. "If we don't then the public needs to be aware of the risk involved in using them and enforcement action would have to be taken."

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IDFIMH

Bullocks

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