ANNEX 1

Appendix 1

Private Hire Vehicle Licence Conditions

1.      The licensed vehicle shall display the following signs following approval by the Council:-

a) The licence plates issued by the Council, which should be securely fixed externally to the front and rear of the vehicle so that they are clearly visible.  The licence plates will remain the property of the Council and must be returned to the Council immediately upon change of vehicle or when requested upon the suspension, revocation or expiry of a vehicle licence.  Temporary plates shall be affixed to the inside of the front screen and rear window providing they do not obscure the visibility of the driver.

b) A sign on the rear passenger doors including the name and telephone number and/or website address of the firm and the words “PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLE – PRE BOOKED ONLY” in suitable lettering at least 50mm (2”) high.  The approval of the Council should be sought before the display of the sign.  The sign must not include the words “FOR HIRE”, “TAXI” OR “HACKNEY CARRIAGE”.

c) A statement of fares and the means by which these are calculated placed in a prominent position inside the vehicle.

2.      The licensed vehicle shall not display any other signs, notices, advertisements or artwork except those detailed above or otherwise approved by the Council.

3.      Every licensed proprietor shall:-

a) provide means by which any passenger in the vehicle may communicate or talk with the driver;

b) keep the roof or covering watertight;

c) maintain the seats in a clean, secure and well maintained condition, properly cushioned and covered;

d) cover the floor with a proper carpet, mats or other suitable covering and maintain in a clean and sound condition;

e) keep the furniture and fittings in a clean and fit condition and maintain all interior door coverings and head linings in a clean and sound condition;

f)    provide a fire extinguisher to comply with current standards;

g) maintain in an operable condition all doors, hinges, handles, locks and windows.

4.      The licensed vehicle shall:-

a) be provided with at least two doors for the use of passengers conveyed in the vehicle together with a door for the driver (excluding tailgate);

b) be provided with any necessary windows and means of opening or closing not less than one window on either side;

c) be fitted with effective means of heating and ventilation;

d) be kept at all times in a good mechanical condition;

e) comply with the requirements of any statute or of any vehicle test which the Council shall enforce;

f)    have a cubic capacity of not less than 1250 cc (engine) except for vehicles fitted with an engine rated with a Euro IV (or better) emission standard;

g) not be fitted with bull bars or any other device on the front of the vehicle intended to supplement the resistance to impact offered by the vehicles standard bumper.

5.      The seating capacity of a licensed vehicle shall be determined as follows:-

a) where separate seats for each person are provided, one person shall be counted for each separate seat provided

b) where the vehicle is fitted with continuous seats, one person shall be counted for each completed length of 400mm measured in a straight line lengthwise over the centre of the seat.  The centre of the seat shall be determined as half the distance from the forward most point of the front edge of the seat to the rear edge of the seat.  Where the seat is fitted with arms for the purpose of separating the seating spaces and such arms are so constructed that they can be folded back or otherwise put out of use, such seat shall be measured as if it were not fitted with such arms

c) All licensed vehicles shall comply with the following minimum standard of internal space:-

i) the distance from the rear seat-back to the rearmost part of the seat in front of that seat or other partition shall not be less than 610mm when the seat in front is in its rearmost position without modification

d) In addition, licensed vehicles with a third row of seats must also comply with the following minimum standard of internal space:-

i) the distance from the seat-back of the third row of seats to the rearmost part of the seat in front shall be not less than 610mm when the seat in front is in its rearmost position without modification

ii) where there is no door adjacent to a row of seats, no passenger must have to pass through a gap of less than 280mm at the narrowest point in order to exit the vehicle via the rear side door

iii) the middle row of seats must have at least one seat capable of adequately tilting to provide a safe exit route for passengers and meet the necessary exit dimension of 280mm, at the narrowest point, at the exit door

e) All licensed vehicles with a row of passenger seats without adjacent side doors must provide the following:-

i) means of operating signs which must provide clear instructions to operate the tilting mechanism with letters of no less than 25mm in height

ii) adequate lighting that illuminates the sign, catches and levers to operate the tilting mechanism

iii) the sign, catches and levers must be clearly visible.

6.      The licensed vehicle must be of a suitable type and be in good condition.  The vehicle must be maintained in such a condition as would satisfy the current MOT vehicle safety and exhaust emission standards as prescribed by the Department of Transport.

7.      The licensed vehicle shall not be a licensed hackney carriage or private hire vehicle of any other Council.

8.      If the licensed vehicle is fitted with a taximeter, the Council’s Byelaws will apply, in particular:-

a) The taximeter shall be so placed that all letters and figures on the face thereof are at all times plainly visible to any person being conveyed in the vehicle and for that purpose the letters and figures shall be capable of being suitably illuminated during the period of hiring.

b) The operator, owner or driver or a private hire vehicle shall not tamper or permit any person to tamper with the taximeter fitted to the vehicle, with the fittings thereof or with seals affixed thereto, provided this shall not prevent the taximeter being removed from the vehicle to a place of safety when the private hire vehicle is not in use.

c) Unless the hirer wishes to engage by time, the taximeter shall be activated at the commencement of hiring and shut down immediately on completion of the hiring but the amount of fare recorded shall remain displayed to allow the hirer a reasonable opportunity to examine it.

9.      No taximeter shall be used unless it has first been tested and approved by the Council.  Arrangements must be made with the Council to re-test the taximeter upon a change in the scale of fares.

10.    The licensed proprietor shall immediately notify the Council of the name and address of any other proprietor or person concerned in the keeping, employing or letting for hire of the licensed vehicle.

11.    Upon a change of proprietor, the Council shall be notified within 14 days of such change by the licensed proprietor (which expression includes both Companies and Partnerships).

12.    The Council’s Taxi Licensing Section shall be notified within 72 hours of the following:-

a) any accident or incident affecting the safety, performance or appearance of the licensed vehicle or the comfort or convenience of passengers

b) any alteration in the design or construction of the vehicle

13.    The licensed proprietor of a private hire vehicle shall permit the inspection of all documents relating to the licensed vehicle at all reasonable times and by prior arrangement by the Officers of the Council.

14.    Only one two way radio may be operational at any one time and this shall be an approved radio used exclusively for the hackney carriage or private hire trade and properly licensed.  The radio shall be securely fixed to the vehicle.

15.    Licensed vehicles exceeding five years old on the day of licensing (calculated from the date of first registration), will be subject to two vehicle inspections in any 12 month period.  One inspection shall be the initial grant or annual inspection conducted by the Council, the second inspection will take place approximately six months from the date of the initial grant or annual inspection at a date determined by the Council and can be completed by:-

a) presenting the vehicle for inspection by the Council’s vehicle examiner within a time scale determined by the Council;

or

b) successfully completing a MOT test within a time scale determined by the Council

16.    Seatbelts must be available for each passenger that the vehicle is licensed to carry.  Exemption will be granted where the proprietor can prove to the satisfaction of the Taxi Licensing Officer that it is technically impossible to provide a seat belt to comply with type approval.

17.    Licensed vehicles must display a sign or signs in a prominent position visible to all passengers (whether seated in the front or rear of the vehicle) reminding them of their legal requirement to wear a seatbelt.

18.    Licensed vehicles must display a sign supplied by the Council inside the vehicle in a visible position to passengers, displaying the Council’s details and the plate number of the vehicle.  The sign will remain the property of the Council and must be returned to the Council when requested upon the suspension, revocation or expiry of a vehicle licence.

19.    i)     All licensed vehicles shall be fitted with windscreen glass that has a light transmittance of 75% and windows to either side of the drivers head shall have a light transmittance of not less than 70%.

          ii)    All other windows within licensed vehicles shall have a light transmittance of not less than 50%. 

          iii)   For estate-type vehicles the windows overlooking the luggage space can be of any manufacturer’s tint providing it is not opaque.

          iv)   Any self applied material shall satisfy the requirements of i) ii) and iii) above if it has been approved by the Council.

20.    Every licensed proprietor shall provide means of carrying and securing luggage and in the case of any vehicle without a secure boot so as not to exceed the height of the rear seat.

21.    The licensed vehicle shall have a luggage space, separate from the passenger compartment, which is capable of holding, at a minimum, two suitcases (a larger one measuring 720mm x 460mm x 280mm and a minimum one measuring 660mm x 430mm x 280mm) and a folded wheelchair (not at the same time).  This condition shall not apply to vehicles already licensed by the Council.

22.    The licensed vehicle shall not be equipped with any CCTV system unless approved by the Council.

23.    Where the licensed vehicle is so constructed or adapted as to be a wheelchair accessible vehicle it shall only be driven by a licensed driver who has:

a) Completed and passed the Driving Standards Agency wheelchair exercise or equivalent, and

b) Completed and passed the City of York Council Disability Awareness Training Course (Taxi) or equivalent.

24.    The licensed vehicle shall be right hand drive.

For the purpose of applying condition 19 (tinted windows), an estate car will be defined as:

a) A vehicle with a long body and extended roofline which gives increased luggage capacity in the area behind the rear seats and is accessed from the rear, and

b) Is described as an estate car on the vehicles registration document.