RIDICULOUS RULES
WIGAN CABBIE FORCED OFF THE ROAD BY WINDOW TINT OF NEW VEHICLE
Tracy Hibbert, who has been a taxi driver since 1991, bought a 2019 Ford Transit Custom van in August last year. But the following month it failed a council test as the tint in the windows was deemed to be too dark. Tracy was given six months to address the issue so that the
20 per cent of light. However, she was injured in a fall and unable to work, so could not raise £4,300 to
replace the
windows met Wigan Council’s requirement of letting through
windows. The van has now been sus- pended for use as a taxi. Tracy has to wait eight weeks before she can appeal and risks losing her taxi driver plates for good.
DERBY PH FIRM OWNER WHO BATTLES POINTLESS COUNCIL RULE FEARS INDUSTRY COLLAPSE
Derby private hire firm owner Michael Rowlands has launched a petition against Derby
City
Council’s new rule requiring newly licensed private hire vehicles to be five years old or less, labelling it “pointless” and warning it could devastate the local industry. Rowlands, managing director of Sendacar, argues the regulation, effective from 1 April, will force drivers to spend at least £15,000 on newer vehicles, potentially driving them out of the city or the trade. “This particular clause affects every Derby driver and we will not have a private hire industry if the council put these barriers in place. It is a problem – it just does not make any sense,” Rowlands stated.
He also expressed concern that drivers would seek licences in other jurisdictions, resulting in the council losing revenue and
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ensure vehicles are in good condition and more likely to meet safety and emissions standards.” A council spokesperson clarified: “Most current drivers will be unaffected by the change, as vehicles already licensed by the council can continue to
be
regulatory control. “Drivers will go out of town to different licensing authorities – which means Derby City Council loses the revenue but also loses the authority to enforce and control safety standards for out- of-town vehicles.” The GMB Union, representing Derby’s private hire drivers, echoed these concerns, claiming the change “threatens the licences of hundreds of drivers using vehicles made before 2021” and could “ruin the taxi trade” in Derby. Derby council defended the rule, stating it was implemented “to
licensed until they are 15 years old.”
Despite the council’s assurances, Rowlands, who met with Derby North MP Catherine Atkinson, remains concerned. “I now have a (March) 20 plate vehicle but that would be too old if licensed for the first time. But the car performs very well and does the job to take people around the city and to the airport safely.” He has created an online petition: “Save The Derby Private Hire Industry,” to garner support and pressure the council to reverse the decision. You can see it here -
https://shorturl.at/DRNz4
MAY 2025 PHTM
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