SCOTTISH NEWS FROM THE SPHA
CAMPAIGN BY GLASGOW PH DRIVERS TO RAISE CAR AGE LIMITS ENDS WITH A THREE-YEAR INCREASE
By Eddie Grice, NPHTA Board Member for Scotland General Secretary of the SPHA:
office@spha.scot
A campaign led by the Scottish Private Hire Association (SPHA) to increase the upper age limit of PHCs in Glasgow has ended in success for the drivers’ assoc- iation following a decision by Glasgow
City Council’s (GCC) Licensing Committee to raise the age limit of cars to a new maximum of ten years. PHCs in Glasgow have had an age limit of seven years since 2006, however, the policy was suspended in 2020 due to Covid in an attempt to help drivers cope with the financial effects of lockdown. In September and November 2022, GCC sought to end the policy suspension and bring back the seven- year age limitation, but interventions made by the SPHA helped to halt these moves and the suspension has remained in place until present. At a meeting of the Licensing Committee last November, councillors instructed the Council Executive to undertake a review of the policy “with a view to the upper age limit being increased”. This led to a public consultation on the matter where a majority of respondents backed an increase of the age limit to ten years. On Wednesday 20 September, councillors reviewed the results of the public consultation and then voted to implement the findings of the report which ended the suspension of the age limitation policy while raising the limit to ten years. They also voted to amend the vehicle inspection schedules, meaning cars aged seven to ten years will require an extra inspection per year. Eddie Grice, General Secretary of the SPHA, said: “This is a monumental result for the private hire trade in Glasgow. As the cost of living bites, as fuel prices continue to rise, and as used car prices sit at all time highs, by increasing the age limit of PHCs, GCC has thrown a vital lifeline to our trade. “This affords us some added economic flexibility when putting cars on the road and when replacing existing cars in the fleet. The options available to us are now less limited. “Ahead of the council elections last year, the SPHA
44
wrote to all council candidates asking them to
pledge
support for our trade. We also put forward some policy proposals in that letter. Today’s decision marks a clean sweep on those proposals with them all having now been put into action. “Safety screens are now allowed to be fitted inside PHC; council licence plates have new mounting positions meaning no more drilling and screwing into bumpers; rear window stickers and the implication of being tied to a single booking office are soon to be no longer required;, and now, the SPHA’s flagship policy, a very welcome three-year increase to vehicle age limits. “We are absolutely delighted by all this and we thank GCC for these policy reforms and also for living up to their earlier commitment in maintaining a policy of open-door engagement with the trade. “The SPHA has managed to get all of these proposals over the line in Glasgow. It’s truly remarkable, really. I want to thank the whole team at the SPHA, as well as all of our members, for everything they have done in helping to make all this happen. “Meanwhile, we continue to campaign in Edinburgh for PHC access to public transport lanes and rapid transit gates. We are about to launch new campaigns in multiple council areas, and our branch in East Renfrewshire recently concluded successful negotiations with its council on bringing back the area’s Hire Car Forum after it lay dormant and defunct for almost two decades.” Mr Grice concluded by calling on the council area of North Lanarkshire to also increase car age limits. He added: “As one campaign ends, another one begins. Our membership base is growing in North Lanarkshire and the drivers there are asking the SPHA to fight for an age limit increase. “The upper limit there is just five years, which is incredibly low. We will be approaching North Lanarkshire Council to request a public consultation on increasing this age.”
OCTOBER 2023 PHTM
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