LICENSING RULES REFORMS


LEEDS INTRODUCES TEMPORARY CHANGES WHILST VEHICLE CONDITION POLICIES REVIEWED


Following representations from the trade - Leeds City Council Licensing has recognised the difficulties facing the trade, such as the cost of living and the market conditions around purchasing vehicles. It is introducing the following temporary changes with immediate effect whilst vehicle conditions policies are reviewed: Current vehicle age criteria: Currently, the policy only allows for vehicles to be first licensed no older than 5 years from the date of first registration except for ULEVs that can be licensed no older than 7


years from first date of registration with a mileage under 120,000. Vehicles are licensed up to 10 years or 12 years for WAVs and ULEVs. Temporarily change of age criteria: a) first licensed no older than 10 years from date of first registrat- ion, these must meet one of the following ratings: Euro 6 diesel, Euro 5 petrol, petrol hybrid, full electric or Euro 5/6 petrol LPG and can be licensed up to 15 years.


b) currently licensed vehicles can be licensed up to 15 years.


Current tinted windows criteria: Vehicles must have a minimum


light transmission value of 70% to all windows of the vehicle and 75% to the windscreen (Construction and use Regulation 32). Temporarily change to tint criteria: First time licensed vehicles may have windows that are the original manufacturers standard specific- ation (no modifications, after market tints, films, sprays will be permitted) Our current vehicle conditions only allow vehicles with a minimum light transmission value of 70% to all windows of the vehicle and 75% to the windscreen (Construction and use Reg 32)


THREE CHANGES TO BOLTON’S CONTROVERSIAL MINIMUM LICENSING STANDARDS AGREED


New proposals aimed at resolving a long-running controversy over sweeping reforms to the taxi trade in Bolton have been agreed. The Minimum Licensing Standards reforms had met with stiff opposition from taxi drivers across Bolton in recent months and years over fears that a maximum age requirement on vehicles could force them off the road.


But the proposals, which also include a common livery and emissions policy, came back before Bolton Council’s cabinet on Monday June 26 with several crucial differences. Council leader Cllr Nick Peel said: “In a nutshell, there’s three changes to the MLS which we’re proposing. The three changes amount to


sticking with the PHTM JULY 2023


current age policy in place. “We’re not convinced on a maximum age and when you’ve got taxis in Bolton registered to Wolverhampton or wherever else, the argument that the age of taxis is somehow a problem specifically in Bolton doesn’t stack up.” He added: “The second is that we’re keeping the livery policy as it is so there’ll be no common livery and thirdly we’ve pushed back the new emissions policy from 2028 to 2030.” The previous proposal, which would have come into force all across Greater Manchester, would have demanded that licensed vehicles be no more than five years old on first registration and have been on the road for less than ten years to avoid a charge. There had also been proposals


that all taxis be outfitted with a common yellow livery all over the city region, which drivers feared could have made them targets for vandals. But now the new proposals will mean no maximum age limit on private hire vehicles and 15 years on hackney vehicles while the changes to liveries will also be scrapped. After repeated protests and debates, Cllr Peel said that he hoped the changes will finally help resolve the impasse. He said: “The previous administration at the council has been kicking this around for a few years now. “What we want now is to stop drivers from being treated like a political football and really put this issue to bed.”


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