Taxi Driver Online

Taxi ambition is tall order

A would-be cabbie has been told he may not get a licence for a specially converted disabled access minibus because its roof is not high enough. Michael Gough, of Town Close, Finmere, near Bicester, paid £6,000 for the Nissan Primera minibus, which he hoped would be the first of a fleet of vehicles for his new firm.

But when he went to Cherwell District Council for a licence, he was told regulations stated vehicles must be 1,400mm high and his minibus fell short by 5mm. Mr Gough, 28, bought the vehicle from Voyager MPV, a Crewe-based taxi manufacturer that specialises in making wheelchair accessible taxis, minibuses and vehicles.

He claimed there was no mention in the council's licensing pack of height regulations. He said: "I've spent £6,000 on a vehicle to do a specific job and I've then been told, you may not be allowed to do it. I was pretty disappointed."

Mr Gough is currently a postman, but decided he wanted a change of career and decided to set up a taxi business. He said: "I looked into it and I thought the council seemed to be leading down the path that if you were going to have a taxi business, you needed one vehicle that would provide a service to disabled people and I thought I'd buy that one first, as it's the most expensive. "Now I don't know what to do with it."

Council licensing officer Ted Sargent said it had various conditions that drivers had to meet before they could get a taxi licence, but no official decision had yet been taken on Mr Gough. He said he had inspected the minibus initially and warned Mr Gough that it did not match up to height specifications.

He said: "We always say to people who come in wanting to be drivers that they should talk to us before buying anything and then we can tell them what is and what isn't going to come up to requirements. "The line has to be drawn somewhere."

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IDFIMH

bit of a tit for buying it without asking.
but is 5mm really going to matter.
bit of a jobsworth imho.

On the other hand, perhaps the stuff the gave him should have specified any relevant dimensions.

But 5mm is about the height of a smiley , so if the LA doesn't give him a bit of leeway then surely it's a good candidate for PHM's 'Daft council of the year', or whatever it's called.

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

I agree that it's a bit petty not accepting it, but if they did then the minimum would be 1395mm and someone else come's in with one at 1390mm etc, before long they'll only be carrying limbo dancers!!

I have a sneaking feeling the council will allow this vehicle.

Regards

JD