Ageing Newport taxis win reprieve from axe
A PROPOSED ban on licensing city taxis 15 years old or older looks set to be dropped.
William Routley, Newport council cabinet member for regulation, said he would not include the age restrictions in a consultation on taxi regulations because of the current economic climate.
The city’s licensing committee has recommended a new set of rules on taxis, which included plans to stop cars 15 years or older being licensed as a hackney carriage or a private hire vehicle, be put to people in the city.
Cars already licensed were due to be exempt from the age restrictions.
However the final decision on what goes out to consultation is down to Mr Routley, who says he will not move ahead with the taxi age idea.
“What we are trying to do is taken the burden of price away without jeopardising safety,” said Mr Routley.
“We have enough checks in place to ensure the safety of all vehicles, as much as any other authority.”
Mr Routley said they are also looking at plating cars just once every 12 months, as opposed to the two tests a year done currently.
He said that an idea to test vehicles over ten years old three times a year would remain in the consultation, which would he said would be launched when he was satisfied with the documentation on the regulations.
But he added: “There’s nothing written on tablets of stone.”
Lionel Morris of the Newport Hackney Carriage Drivers’ Association said he’s happy the taxi age limit proposal has gone: “I would prefer it not to happen because of the economic situation at the moment.”
But he added he would like to see the three-yearly test idea dropped as well: “Welike to see cars plated once a year.”
However he said he didn’t knowanything about the taxi age proposals until the Argus first published them on July 4, but said he has spoken to Mr Routley about them since then.
source:
http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/
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