Taxi Driver Online

Hartlepool taxi drivers petition licensing chiefs over Euro emissions policy they say will hammer them

https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/p ... em-4909565



Council chiefs are to look to alter rules on taxi age limits for certain vehicles following a petition from drivers around the cost impact of upcoming changes.

Currently Hartlepool Borough Council’s private hire and hackney carriage policy states taxis must be Euro 6 compliant by April 1, 2025.

All vehicles are manufactured to ‘Euro emissions standards’ which set acceptable limits for certain types of exhaust emissions, with the standards gradually becoming more stringent.

The council’s policy also states at present a licence will only be granted to an unlicensed taxi to operate when it is under five years old from date of first registration.

However, a petition from Khalid Hussain, from Khalid Taxis, proposed to change the council’s policy to remove the age limit for Euro 6 vehicles and instead simply state the vehicles must be in “good condition” and meet other checks.

Mr Hussain stated he has 11 taxis, eight of which are only “Euro 5” standard, and the estimated cost to replace them all in line with the council’s current age rules would exceed £80,000.

The petition was signed by 52 vehicle owners, with Mr Hussain noting “many drivers may struggle financially to make this change”, highlighting the lasting impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The information went before the latest meeting of the council’s licensing committee, where officers had recommended no changes were made.

However, after hearing from Mr Hussain and another taxi driver, councillors decided to alter the policy to allow older Euro 6 vehicles to be licensed by the local authority, subject to them being in good condition.

It was agreed officers would go away and draw up a revised document to reflect this and come back before the panel in March.

In the meantime it was agreed to delay the date by which vehicles must be Euro 6 compliant from April 1 to June 1 to give drivers more time.

Implementation of the Euro 6 emission standard was also postponed from April 2023 to April 2025 to take into consideration the financial strains placed upon the trade by Covid-19.

The council currently licences 229 private hire and hackney carriage vehicles of which 33 are not Euro 6 compliant.

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IDFIMH

Really not sure what the issue here is.

A five-year-old petrol saloon vehicle isn't going to cost a fortune.

Maybe the answer to Hartlepool's woes is not to be 314th in the UK's hackney carriage fares table.

Then being able to finance newer vehicles might not be such a problem.

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IDFIMH

Did I not read that uber are moving into hartlepool ?

maybe that is a factor also but as far as fares go bear in mind sussex that the average burgher of this borough probably earns less than half that of yours so affordability of hackneys is also an issue.

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

Hartlepool taxi drivers set to win battle over vehicle age limits

https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/p ... ts-5062125

A consultation has been launched on a proposed new council hackney carriage licensing policy which would alter rules on taxi age limits.

The latest meeting of Hartlepool Borough Council’s licensing committee saw a new draft private hire and hackney carriage licensing policy approved by a majority vote.

It will shortly go out to consultation to allow residents and drivers to have their say before returning for a final decision.

The main changes include removing all vehicle age requirements with the current policy stating a licence will only be granted to a taxi when it is under five years old.

All vehicles are manufactured to “Euro emissions standards”, which set acceptable limits for certain types of exhaust emissions, with the standards gradually becoming more stringent.

It comes after a petition was submitted to the panel in December covering both issues.

However, Khalid Hussain, from Khalid Taxis, who proposed that petition, raised further concerns at the meeting and called for the Euro 6 deadline to be delayed further.

He raised concerns over costs and the impact of Uber being recently licensed in the town.

Council officers noted the Euro 6 standard, which became mandatory for new cars in 2015, was initially introduced into council policy in 2019 with an implementation date of April 2023 before being delayed due to Covid-19 pressures.

The council currently licences 225 private hire and hackney carriage vehicles of which just 32 are not Euro 6 compliant.

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IDFIMH

Not sure if I read the article above at the time, but the headline seems inconsistent with what was in the article.

(The 'battle' seems to be over delaying Euro6 rather than the age rule per se suggested by the headline above...?)

And certainly inconsistent with the final result - the drivers lost the 'battle' presumably


Hartlepool council bosses approve taxi licensing changes as drivers told they've had enough time to prepare

https://www.hartlepoolmail.co.uk/news/p ... re-5245415

A new council taxi licensing policy which will alter rules on vehicle age limits among other changes has been approved by Hartlepool council chiefs.

It comes after Hartlepool Borough Council carried out a consultation with residents and drivers on a draft private hire and hackney carriage licensing policy earlier this year.

The main changes include removing all vehicle age requirements, compared to having to be under five years old.

Additionally, all vehicles licensed must be Euro 6 compliant by September 1, 2025, following a postponement to the previous deadline of April 1, while wheelchair accessible vehicles will have an extra year.


Image: Hartlepool Mail

All vehicles are manufactured to ‘Euro emissions standards’ which set acceptable limits for certain types of exhaust emissions, with the standards gradually becoming more stringent.

Some Hartlepool taxi drivers appealed to councillors for more time to prepare for the changes, but the council said they have had long enough.

It comes after a petition by drivers was submitted to the panel in December covering both issues.

The new policy received unanimous approval from the council’s licensing committee.

The consultation generated 22 responses, most from drivers who currently drive non-Euro 6 compliant vehicles who wanted an extension to the deadline.

Several cabbies attended the meeting to echo calls for the extension, raising concerns over costs and the impact of Uber being recently licensed in the town.

But council officers noted the Euro 6 standard, which became mandatory for new cars in 2015, was initially introduced into council policy in 2019 before being delayed due to Covid.

They added this has “provided the trade with six years to financially plan and implement the changes which the majority of vehicle owners have achieved.”

Councillor Carole Thompson added they had already “put this off on several occasions” and have held discussions with drivers previously, who have now “had sufficient time to renew vehicles.”

Other policy alterations include an updated approach to insurance write-offs.

And new drivers must provide evidence of satisfactory completion of a council approved driving assessment upon application instead of within their first 12 months.

The council currently licences 219 private hire and hackney carriage vehicles of which just 29 are not Euro 6 compliant.

I have some sympathy for WAV owners, but I have none for saloon owners. A 10-year-old diesel would be licensed under the new rules, and a 15-year-old petrol.

In what world is that an onerous decision?

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IDFIMH