Taxi Driver Online

Hi

I would be grateful if you could help me with what age restrictions on private hire vehicles apply in your area and what sort of affect this has had if any on drivers and fleet owners?

Our council are trying to impose a 3 year age limit with a top limit of 10 years ie once the age of the vehicle from the date of registration reaches 10 years they will not continue to license that vehicle.


Thank you

First of all I am not a fan of age restrictions

You should ask your council if the insist on age limits when tendering school transport contracts

All age limits do are make drivers slaves to the finance companies, or the cars owners if they rent

The age of a vehicle should not matter, as long as the vehicle passes the inspection test why should it ?

Here in Renfrewshire the Skoda dealerships seen a large increase in trade when the then head of the licensing committee Cllr Burns introduced age restrictions here a few years ago despite there being no problems with vehicle age for as long as taxis have been in operation

Private hire cars in our area won't get licensed if they are 5 years old & WAV's when they are 8

The main policies relating to private hire vehicles are as follows:
The holder of a private hire car licence shall use as a private hire car a four door saloon, five door hatchback or estate vehicle with a minimum width across the back seat of 48 inches and an engine capacity 1600cc or greater, or alternatively a multi person vehicle (MPV) of a type approved by the licensing authority. From 1 January
2002 all vehicles to be licensed as private hire cars shall be:
(i) any colour other than white; and
(ii) less than 5 years old from the date of first registration, unless the vehicle is a
multi person vehicle (MPV) and wheelchair accessible where that vehicle shall be less than 8 years from the date of first registration.
The main policies relating to taxi vehicles are as follows:
The holder of a taxi licence shall use as a taxi only an FX4 Metropolitan type vehicle of 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 think the 10 year top limit isn't that far off the mark, but the three year start limit seems a bit strict for a PH.

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IDFIMH

It's 5 years in London

How does operators like Harringey Cars in St Annes Road get away with their several 1992/3 Licensed Previas then?

God knows

Try asking if they'd prefer a smart 20yr old gas converted motor with 0 emmisions or a new E7 thats barely under the maximum allowed?
The mind boggles, it really does.
Theres a 1922 black cab on ebay at the moment, really beautiful it is, stunning. Cant use it though

It'll go through here!

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Former taxi driver