Taxi Driver Online

Taxi firm to challenge tinted windows ruling


A TAXI firm is set to challenge North Lincolnshire Council's licensing department over a ruling on tinted windows in cabs.

Frances Ward, who owns Bar One Taxis, said she was forced to register her Hackney Carriage cab as a private hire and open an office or she faced losing her business because of rule changes.

The Barton-Upon-Humber firm claims it received no notification from the council about the changes.

Mrs Ward, whose cab previously qualified as a Hackney Carriage, said: "I am disgusted by this ruling as I have been running taxis for six years.

"If I did not register as a private hire I would lose my livelihood. I am going to challenge this decision."

She said the new rules mean she has to open an office to run her business from.

"This means we now have to pay for extra running costs of an office, which we now need to work from. I just can't believe we were given no notification of the new ruling.

"We only bought the cab in August this year, which cost us £9,000 - if we had known it was not suitable we would have bought a different car."

But Nick Bramhill, licensing manager for North Lincolnshire Council, said taxi firms were notified in a newsletter.

He added: "Taxi firms were also involved in the decision making of this policy, to make sure we got it right."

Mr Bramhill said Mrs Ward's Hackney Carriage licence application was refused due to the tint on the windows of her cab.

"The conditions attached to the vehicle state that all the windows must allow at least 70 per cent light through except the windscreen which must let at least 75 per cent through," he said.

"This condition was adopted to assist with both passenger and driver safety."

Mrs Ward has vowed to challenge the ruling.

This must mean PH drivers have better eyesight than Hackney drivers then! As an ex trade union member i seem to recall that under customer practice as the vehicle in this case had allready been used and licenced under a Hackney carriage then rules cannot just be changed at the drop of a hat.

It must be one of those mpvs that come from the factory like that, like the Galaxy and its sisters from the Vw stable

Have I missed something?

They wont license a taxi with tinted glass, but will a PH?

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IDFIMH

If anyone would have a problem with tinted glass then it would be the police in the case that they would want to be able to see into a vehicle. If it was a safety issue then the vehicle would never pass manufacture. So the only reason the council would have is because like most licensing officials is that they are just bored and trying to justify their own jobs without getting down to the nitty gritty in the trade rather than just making an appearance when the sun is shining.

Legal limits already exist for window tints, does this make LAs above the law of the land?

2 issues spring to mind

this tinted glass thing and the tipping seat issue, if a vehicle can come out of a car factory then it should be "fit for purpose" and "licenseable" instead of having trumped up council officals deciding otherwise

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

she wont be "Bar One Taxis" either will she.....

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

F*ck me....thats twice in one day I agree with you

CC

1 = no thanks
2 = no problem

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

I really hate heavily tinted windows.

What have the drivers to hide?

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IDFIMH

Nothing.....thats why they are fit and proper.....besides you really dont want me in that BMW 5 series with a low profile, big f*ck off wheels and a suspension that dances do you

CC

we are talking about FACTORY FITMENT tinted glass, not pimp my ride limo rear windows

my back window and little side windows are 100% blacked out but arent illegal, all my others are standard F**d window tints

if i pick up some returning lang-haul flyers they are asleep in minutes, they can draw the curtains too

plus when i wanna go stopover the back seat is my bed

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

some drivers obviously have things to hide, when we tried to give away two sponsored c.c.t.v systems the question that drivers asked was "can you switch it off so it does'nt record"

Is she Bar One Taxi or Less One Taxi now