ROUND THE COUNCILS YORK:
CONCERNS OVER TAXI POLICY CHANGES
On Monday 8 October, City of York Council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee met to discuss its draft new Hackney Carriage and Private Hire policy. The proposed rules include: l All hackney carriages to be painted black to distinguish them from private hire vehicles which would be barred from being so
l All hackney carriages to display the council’s crest and their licensing details
l All vehicles would have to be built to Euro VI emissions standards
l All vehicle rear windows would have to have a minimum light transmission value of 30 per cent or above to help passengers feel safe - drivers would be offered free checks to see if the tint in their vehicles’ windows comply
l From November, new licences for taxis will only be granted to those vehicles that meet standards on emissions and follow the rules on colour and window tinting.
l Licences will not be renewed for vehicles which do not comply from November 2027, though councillors recommended pushing the date for wheelchair accessible vehicles back by a further three years.
l Councillors heard drivers would only be required to replace their vehicle once it is 10 years old, provided it meets emissions standards.
l The proposed policy also encourages the use of WAVs and electric ones over all others.
l Large private hire operators, those with 99 vehicles or more, will be required to always have at least one adapted vehicle operational.
Councillors heard Government grants were available to help drivers buy wheelchair accessible taxis built to low or zero emissions specifications. However, several drivers who spoke at the committee meeting told councillors they were concerned about the cost of buying new vehicles or changing them to meet standards. They argued that these restrictions will ultimately limit the availability of adapted vehicles and could lead to increased costs for passengers. There were also concerns that the ‘right to roam’,
PHTM NOVEMBER 2024
which allows drivers licensed outside of York to work in the area, could undermine efforts to enforce standards.
Arshad Mahmood Chairman of York City Taxi Association said, “Many taxi drivers already own vehicles in other colours and would face financial difficulty to change their existing taxi to a new black one. “In fact, there are currently only four used wheelchair-accessible taxis listed for sale online which would meet the proposed new standards “Surely as long as a vehicle meets the euro emissions standards and is well maintained it should still be re-licensed to drive. “Getting an MOT at a separate time and then also tested six months later is a good enough test process to check that a car is both road worthy and environmentally friendly. “The fact is, with the taxi trade facing a significant decline in business many York taxi drivers cannot afford to buy new vehicles, and this will eventually drive them out of business, just like we are seeing happening to the hackney trade in London.” A decision on the proposed policy will be made at the council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee on 22 November 2024.
TORFAEN: PASSENGERS FACE WAV SHORTAGE
Torfaen CBC is grappling with a shortage of wheelchair-accessible taxis, leaving residents with limited options for transportation. The issue has been raised by local councillor, Jon Horlor, who has heard reports of passengers struggling to book accessible vehicles, particularly in the Cwmbran area on weekends. While the council has offered a discount on licensing fees to encourage more drivers and firms to invest in wheelchair-accessible vehicles, it appears that the current incentives have not been sufficient. There are currently only 14 wheelchair-accessible taxis licensed in Torfaen, which is considered a limited number. To address the shortage, the council is exploring additional measures to increase the fleet and encourage operators to make cars available at times there will be a demand.
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