Taxi Driver Online

Turn-around on plans to make taxi drivers replace old vehicles


PLANS to ban vehicles more than ten years old from being used as taxis “in the interests of public safety” have been thrown out by council leaders.

North East Lincolnshire Council’s community protection committee voted unanimously not to introduce an upper age limit for either hackney carriage or private hire vehicles.

It is an about-turn for the committee, which in May 2009 announced plans to force taxi vehicles aged more than ten years old off the road – although the clampdown was never implemented.

Licensing officer Adrian Moody told the meeting: “In 2009, the committee resolved not to grant new taxi licences on vehicles older than five years, and not to renew existing licences on vehicles older than ten years in the interests of public safety.

“It was felt that, by implementing age restrictions, the fleet would gain benefits from the continuous improvements in vehicle safety.

“However, the upper age limit was never introduced and the Department for Transport does not recommend specifying upper age limits for vehicles.”

There are currently 62 hackney carriages and 66 private hire vehicles in the borough that are more than a decade old.

And councillors expressed fears that introducing an upper age limit could put drivers who cannot afford to replace older vehicles out of work.

Dave Atkin, chairman of the North East Lincolnshire Hackney Carriage Association, said he had “mixed feelings” about the committee’s decision.

He said: “On the one hand, it is good news. In the current financial climate, not many drivers could afford to replace their vehicles once they reached ten years old.

“But on the other hand, replacing vehicles when they reached a certain age would mean customers would benefit from the safest and most environmentally-friendly vehicles.”

Drivers expressed concerns about current council policy, which states new hackney carriage licences can only be granted for vehicles which are adapted for wheelchair access – and therefore more expensive to buy.

Changes to the rules will be discussed at the next community protection committee.

source: http://www.thisisgrimsby.co.uk/news/

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