AGENDA ITEM 5

BOROUGH OF POOLE

LICENSING COMMITTEE

14th DECEMBER 2011

REPORT ONPROPOSED CHANGES TO

HACKNEY CARRIAGE AND PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLE AGE LIMITS

PART OF THE PUBLISHED FORWARD PLAN: NO

STATUS (Strategic, Service Delivery Information)

  1. PURPOSE

1.1To consider the requests made by the Poole Taxi Trade for an increase to, or removal of, the maximum age limits for hackney carriage and private hire vehicles.

  1. DECISION(S) REQUIRED

2.1It is recommended that Members consider whether the maximum age limit for licensed vehiclesshould be changed.

  1. BACKGROUND/INFORMATION

3.1The Borough of Poole licences the town’s hackney carriage and private hire drivers, the vehicles they drive and the companies they work for. Taxi licensing is a public safety function and the roadworthiness of licensed vehicles is of primary concern. Current licensing conditions mean that hackney and private hire vehicles are subject to age restrictions and are MOT tested more often than a private car. This reflects the fact that these vehicles are more intensively worked and members of the public are being carried. The average distance travelled by a Poole taxi at present is approximately 35,800 miles per annum, 4 times more that the average for an ordinary family car.

3.2At presentvehicles must be aged less than 5 years old when they are first licensed. They can be relicensed until they reach 8 years or over at the date of relicensing, except for wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAV’s) which can be licensed until they reach 10 years or over at the date of relicensing. In 2006 the permitted age for first licensing was reduced from 6 years to 5 years and vehicles over 5 years were required to have twice yearly MOT checks. It was considered that reducing the age of first licensing would have the effect of reducing the average age of taxis and private hire vehicles in Poole. In 2006 the average age was three and a half years however this has increased and in November 2011 the average age was 5 years 1 month.

3.3Requests have been made by members of the taxi trade for the age restrictions on Poole vehicles to be either increased or removed entirely. To gauge support within the trade for a change to the limits all licensed hackney carriage and private hire drivers were contacted in writing and asked to indicate whether they wished age limits to change and to give the reasons supporting their preferences.

4Consultation with the Taxi Trade

4.1Responses to the consultation were received from 71 of the 412 licensed drivers(17.2%). The result of the survey was as follows:

Survey of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Drivers
Changes to Vehicle Age Limit Conditions
Proposal / No. of Responses / % For
1 / No Change – existing age limits to remain / 31 / 43.7%
2 / Reduce current age limits / 2 / 2.8%
3 / Increase upper age limits / 23 / 32.4%
4 / Remove upper age limit entirely / 15 / 21.1%

4.2Those respondents who indicated they wished to have the current age limits increased but not removed entirely (32.4% of respondents) were asked to indicate what age limits they felt should be applied.

Suggested Age Limits
Suggested Age / Number of responses / % of responses
10 years / 15 / 65.2%
12 years / 3 / 13%
15 years / 1 / 4.3%
20 years / 1 / 4.3%
Not Stated / 3 / 13%

In addition 3 respondents felt there should be a different age limit for Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAV’s), two suggesting 12 years of age and one suggesting 14 years for purpose built WAV’s only.

4.3The reasons given for increasing or removing the existing age limits were collated and the principal reasons are summarised below. (A full list of responses is provided in Appendix A.)

  • Financial benefits for the vehicle owner- Reduced pressure in the current financial climate and increased time to recuperate initial outlay and save for replacement vehicles.
  • Cars are better equipped with safety and environmental features and are more reliable now and don’t rust so could be licensed for longer than the current age limit allows.
  • If a vehicle meets mechanical standards and is presentable then it should not be replaced just because of age.

4.4The reasons given for keeping or reducing the existing age limits were collated and are summarised below. (A full list of responses is provided in Appendix B.)

  • Older cars look worn out / tired /tatty.
  • More modern cars have better safety features/fuel economy
  • Cars may pass an MOT and look ok but ride and comfort deteriorates (seats, suspension, rattles, and vibrations).

5CONCERNS OVER INCREASING VEHICLE AGE

5.1Mechanical Fitness

An analysis of MOT pass rates has been undertaken of vehicles which held a licence during 2011 over the period they have been licensed as a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle. As can be seen from the graph below, the MOT failure rate increases with age of vehicle which indicates a decreasing level of mechanical fitness as the vehicle ages

5.2Emissions

European rules affecting exhaust emissions from cars first came into force in 1970 and have been tightened up progressively ever since. This means that cars are cleaner now then they have ever been and are set to get cleaner still. New car models must undergo a wide range of safety and environmental tests as part of the official European ‘type approval’ process. These include tests to make sure that exhaust emissions meet European standards which are getting more stringent. Euro 4 (January 2005) and Euro 5 (September 2009) have concentrated on cleaning up emissions from diesel cars, especially reducing particulate matter(PM) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx). Some Euro 4 diesel cars were fitted with particulate filters, but all diesel cars need particulate filters to meet the requirements of Euro 5. Relaxing or removing the vehicle age limit may result in an increase in exhaust emissions, impacting on air quality in the Borough.

5.3Safety

Newer cars will have more safety features and may offer better protection in a crash compared to earlier models. Primary safety features designed to help avoid a crash such as braking systems and electronic stability control, and secondary safety features which are designed to reduce injuries to the driver, passengers and pedestrians in the event of an accident (such as seat belts and airbags and the design of the body shell and vehicle interior) are constantly being improved. Allowing older vehicles to remain licensed will mean there are more vehicles carrying members of the public which do not benefit from thelatest advances in safety design.

6FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

6.1None

7LEGAL IMPLICATIONS

7.1None identified

8RISK MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS

8.1No risks identified

9EQUALITIES IMPLICATIONS

9.1The Council is committed to the promotion of accessible transport. Taxis and private hire vehicles are used more frequently by people with disabilities. This includes access to essential activities such as shopping and medical appointments.

10ENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

10.1 Allowing older vehicles to remain licensed will mean they are not being replaced by newer vehicles designed and required to meet the higher emissions standards which have been introduced. This may mean that there is an increase in exhaust emissions, impacting on air quality in the Borough.

11CONCLUSIONS

11.1In light of the potential impact that theoperation of older vehicles as private hire and hackney carriages may have, Members are asked to consider whether there should be an increase to the maximum age of hackney carriage and private hire vehicles or whether the current licensing conditions should remain.

In addition, the Taxi Licensing Section would recommend that if an increase to vehicle age limit is considered, then the date to which a vehicle can be licensed shouldend on the anniversary of the date of first use of the vehicle (as recorded on the vehicles V5 Registration Document). This would rectify the current situation whereby some vehicles licenses can end when the vehicle is 8 years 1 month whilst others can remain licensed until they are 8 years 11months.

Report Author: Julian McLaughlin, Head of Transportation Services

Contact officer:Karen Fry

01202 262242

Background Papers: None

1