TAXI REGULATIONS – OUTDATED AND UNFIT FOR PURPOSE
A combination of outdated regulations and the fact that councils can set their own framework of rules for taxis operating in their area all add up to one big regulatory mess.
In today’s fast-moving world, which is dom- inated by the advent of cutting-edge technology such as electric cars (EVS), smartphones and apps, it is mind boggling to think that taxi licensing laws have not kept up with the evolving demands and requirements of the 21st century.
The huge variations across the country do no favours to those whose livelihoods rely on the industry, from operators to self-employed drivers to those in the supply chain.
A much-needed overhaul of the system is long overdue to bring clarity and unification across the country.
The Government has made a start on this with its recent announcement that it is launching a consultation exercise about introducing new regulations for licensing authorities focusing on how their powers should be employed to protect vulnerable passengers from harm.
The aim is to ensure there is countrywide consistency as well as increasing passenger safety with the proposed changes involving the likes of more rigorous criminal record and background checks for cabbies.
Other elements forming part of the Depart- ment for Transport’s consultations are establishing a national licensing database and preventing drivers working hundreds of miles from the council area in which they have been licensed.
The compulsory installation of CCTV in cabs, which only would be accessed if it was felt a crime had been committed, also is under consideration.
While any measures to deliver uniformity across the country when it comes to taxi regulations are to be welcomed, the points included in the DfT’s proposals do not go far enough.
Attention needs to be turned to the rules and regulations surrounding the standards applied to the vehicles themselves.
I strongly believe that taxi licensing laws in this respect should be reviewed so that they are consistent and mirror modern day reali- ties and developments in the motor industry.
There are so many anomalies. Indeed, you will find that licensing authorities, which are cheek by jowl, have very differing and con-
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flicting criteria. As a result, it can be a night- mare to navigate the governance maze.
Some local authorities take an extremely soft approach to vehicle specifications while others lay down an extremely complicated regime. In general, the further you are away from a big city the more relaxed and gener- ous the conditions tend to be.
This means the cost of getting a vehicle road-ready to comply with the local licens- ing regulations can greatly fluctuate from area to area.
For instance, The Taxi Centre has been get- ting enquiries from people who are wanting EVs from licensing areas that, unfortunately as yet, don’t allow them. We have tried our best to approach these councils to try to encourage them to change the conditions, but that’s not a quick process.
We even have experienced a council coming up with a ‘crazy’ response, saying it will grant a licence for an EV as long as it has a 1.6 engine capacity, but EVs are not mea- sured in that way. It does not seem to understand the emerging new technologies in the motor trade.
I don’t see this happening for too much longer. I believe councils will adapt their policies to embrace the electric car revolu- tion in the interests of the environment.
At The Taxi Centre, my expert staff need to be aware of the variations in different areas to make sure we do not sell a car to a client that cannot be used where they plan to work.
Among the inconsistencies I have come across are:
• Some authorities insist a taxi carries a full spare wheel, while others stipulate a space-saver for emergency use only to get to a garage in the event of a puncture. Some require no spare wheel at all.
• There is a council that only has one con- dition and that is that the back seat must be 48 inches wide – the reason for that is to allow 16 inches per person.
This means that a Ford Fiesta, which to my mind is totally unsuitable from a prac- tical point of view, is licensed as a taxi. However, another local authority, among
its raft of rules, specifies 51 inches.
• People carriers are quite a touchy subject for those in the industry. In some areas the rule is that there has to be ‘conference seating’ so the back row faces forward and the middle row faces backwards; whereas some councils won’t allow any seven seaters unless the back two seats are accessible without having to fold down a seat in front of them. Therefore, a seat has to be removed in the middle row, while neighbouring councils have no such restrictions
• Licensing rules in some areas dictate that the engine capacity of a vehicle cannot be less than 1.6cc whether it is diesel or petrol while others say that a power rat- ing or 90bhp or more will suffice, regardless of capacity.
Conversely, there are some councils which have ruled that all new licences only can be for fully EVs so that means no hybrid, diesel or petrol cabs.
• There is a council that will allow EVs on the condition there is 16 cubic feet of lug- gage capacity. However, currently there aren’t any affordable EVs with that amount of space for this use.
• Flashing lights when the back-sliding doors are open or a multi-seater having to have side steps are compulsory with some authorities, but not others.
• The cut-off age of a vehicle at which a licence will be granted can differ from area to area, from having to be brand new to being quite a few years old.
• Some councils permit tinted glass win- dows while others do not.
• Some councils will only pass a car with a first aid kit on board, others will fail you if you have one.
And then there are the differing wheelchair access rules…
These examples illustrate how imperative it is that changes are made to unify the cur- rent system. I hope that a groundswell of opinion can be galvanised to make a case to encourage the powers-that-be to update and unify the patchwork of taxi laws relating to vehicle standards.
Article supplied by Stephen Porter Branch manager The Taxi Centre
MAY 2019
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