LICENSING COMMITTEE AGENDA - Hartlepool Borough Council

Licensing Committee – 6 th November 2012 4.5
LICENSING COMMITTEE
6 th November 2012
Report of:
Assistant Director (Regeneration & Planning)
Subject:
HACKNEY CARRIAGE & PRIVATE HIRE AGE
LIMITS
1. PURPOSE OF REPORT
1.1 To consider whether the current licensing policy for hackney carriage and
private hire vehicles should be amended so as to allow older cars to be
licensed.
2. BACKGROUND
2.1 The current hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy was adopted in
January 2011 and retained a long standing requirement that vehicles (except
purpose built wheelchair accessible vehicles) must be less than 3 years old
when first licensed.
2.2 Paragraph 2.6 (d) of the current licensing policy states that a vehicle submitted
for initial licensing must: -
‘Be below the age of 3 years from the date of first registration and the
vehicle will normally be required to be replaced when it reaches six years
of age unless the proprietor can demonstrate that it has been, during the
course of its lifetime, exceptionally well-maintained. (see exception for
stretched limousines)’
2.3 Representations have been received from some vehicle owners asking for the
current policy to be amended so as to permit older vehicles to be licensed for
the first time.
2.4 The request specifically relates to the difficulties created by the enforcement of
a strict 3 year age limit as this has the effect of excluding a significant source of
used cars – namely fleet hire vehicles that are routinely sold off as soon as they
are 3 years old.
2.5 It is generally accepted that fleet hire cars are well maintained and can
represent good value for money but as they may be just weeks older than 3
4.5 Licensing 12.11.06 Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Age Limits HARTLEPOOL BOROUGH COUNCIL
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