These conditions of licence are made by virtue of Section 13(3) of the Plymouth City Council Act 1975. These conditions of licence apply to all private hire operators licensed on or after the effective date of 01 May 2022 and supersede all previous conditions of licence
General information
The conditions of licence contained herein are made by virtue of section 5(2) of the Plymouth City Council Act 1975 . Failure to comply with a condition of licence is an offence by virtue of section 5(8) of the Plymouth City Council Act 1975 as amended by the Plymouth City Council Act 1987 for which an offender may be fined £1,000 upon conviction.
It is important for hackney carriage proprietors to ensure that they are familiar with these standard conditions of licence and any special conditions that may be attached to the licence once granted. The proprietor of a vehicle is considered to have accepted these conditions of licence when being granted a private hire vehicle licence unless a condition(s) is withdrawn or varied by a Magistrates court upon appeal by the proprietor.
Private hire vehicle licences are granted for 1 year or such lesser period as may be determined by the Council; these conditions shall be applicable for the duration of the vehicle licence.
Any special conditions of licence shall be attached at the time of the grant of the licence by the Council or may be attached to the licence at a subsequent time during the licence period where circumstances require.
Terms
In these licence conditions:
- ‘Authorised Officer’ means any Officer of the Council authorised in writing for the purposes of the Plymouth City Council Act 1975 and 1987
- ‘The Council’ means Plymouth City Council.
- ‘Vehicle’ means a vehicle licensed by Plymouth City Council for the purposes for providing private hire services.
- ‘Licence Plate’ means the plate issued by the Council for the purposes of identifying the vehicle as a private hire vehicle duly licensed by the Council.
- ‘Proprietor’ means the person or persons or body named on the licence as the proprietor of the vehicle and includes a part proprietor, and in relation to a vehicle object of a hiring agreement or hire purchase agreement means the person in procession of the vehicle under that agreement.
Conditions of Licence – Private Hire Vehicle
1. General Conditions
- The Council will only licence a vehicle if it complies with all requirements contained in the Private Hire Vehicle Specifications and Vehicle Compliance Testing Manual.
- No person under the age of 18 years shall be granted or entitled to hold a private hire vehicle licence issued by the Council.
- No animals other than those owned by fare paying passengers shall be carried in any licensed vehicle whilst the vehicle is so engaged under the terms of its licence.
2. Display of Licence Plate and Vehicle Identification
- The proprietor, or where appropriate the driver, must ensure that the licence plates, door signs or such other signs issued by the Council are displayed, at all times in the locations specified in the Private Hire Vehicle Specifications and Vehicle Compliance Testing Manual. This condition may be varied in writing by the Council in exceptional circumstances.
- The external licence plate must be displayed within the approved bracket as supplied by the Council and affixed to the vehicle using an approved attachment to the lower rear aspect of the vehicle, or in such other location as specified in writing by the Council.
- Licence plates are not permitted to be displayed, internally or externally, on any window surface to the vehicle.
- Front door licence stickers issued by the Council, must be affixed directly to the vehicle surface in a central location on both passenger doors.
- Door licence stickers are not permitted to be placed on magnets or any other method of fitting, not approved by the Council.
- The internal vehicle licence identification notice must be displayed lower nearside of the windscreen using such methods as specified by the Council, so as it can be easily seen by passengers. The approved method of display is set out in the Vehicle Compliance Testing Manual.
- The licence plate and other methods identifying the vehicle as a licensed private hire vehicle referred to in these conditions shall remain the property of the Council at all times and must be surrendered upon expiry, or on demand to an authorised Officer of the Council or Police Officer where the vehicle is deemed as not fit for purpose.
- The vehicle may display a roof sign provided the sign complies in every respect with the roof sign specification approved by the Council. The copy of the roof sign specification can be obtained from the Licensing Office.
3. Motor Vehicle Insurance
- The vehicle must at all times be insured for the purposes of pre-booked private hire. The insurance certificate/cover note must specify the insurance cover for Private Hire/Hire and Reward.
- A Public Liability Insurance certificate/cover note must also be submitted with the application/renewal which clearly indicates insurance cover for a minimum of £5 million.
- There must be continuity of insurance cover as required by law and the vehicle proprietor and / or driver must be able to evidence such continuity of cover if required by the Council.
- The certificate of insurance or cover note or copy of the same must be carried in the vehicle at all times to demonstrate insurance cover to an authorised officer or any other person having a legitimate reason to inspect it.
4. Convictions, Cautions and Fixed Penalty Notices
- The proprietor of any licensed private hire vehicle must report to the Council in writing details of any conviction or caution by the Police in respect of any offence and any fixed penalty notice (motoring or otherwise) imposed on him during the period of the private hire vehicle licence.
5. Compliance Testing Intervals
- All vehicles being less than 5 years old (the age of the vehicle is taken from the date of first registration with DVSA) shall undergo an MOT and vehicle compliance test at a Council appointed Testing Station every 12 months.
- All vehicles over 5 years old shall comply with condition 5.1 and undergo an additional vehicle compliance test at a Council Appointed Testing Station within 6 calendar months of the MOT and vehicle compliance test. The appointed testing station shall provide a copy of the vehicle compliance test pass certificate to the Council as soon as reasonably practicable.
- No vehicle is permitted to be used as a private hire vehicle without having a valid MOT and compliance documentation.
6. Number of Passengers
- The driver of a private hire vehicle must not convey a greater number of persons (regardless of the age or size of the passengers) than the number of persons prescribed on the licence for the vehicle.
7. Tyres and Wheels
- All tyres and wheels must meet the legal requirements as to suitability for use on the vehicle.
- Tyres must have the minimum tread depth as required by law.
- Tyres must in good condition and inflated to the correct tyre pressures.
- Vehicles must be equipped with a fully functional spare wheel or a tyre puncture repair system as supplied by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Space saver spare tyres or tyre repair puncture systems cannot be used for the conveyance of passengers.
- A wheel brace and vehicle jack or other suitable equipment as supplied or specified by the vehicle manufacturer must be carried in the vehicle to enable the effective changing of a wheel.
8. Payments
- All private hire vehicles must have a card payment reader with the ability to always take contactless payments in the vehicle for use by customers at the start of every journey.
- Card payment readers must be kept in working order. Drivers must not work until any faults are rectified.
- You must provide a receipt for payment if requested.
- You must not apply a charge for paying by card.
9. Maintenance of Vehicle
- The private hire vehicle and all its equipment, fixtures and fittings must, when the vehicle is available for hire, or when hired, be kept in good working order, safe, tidy and a clean condition.
- A complete set of spare bulbs must be carried in the vehicle to allow for effective replacement. One bulb is required for each of the following types of vehicle lamp: headlamp, brake light, reverse, rear position lamp and directional indicator lamp.
- The proprietor or driver must not service or carry out repairs to a vehicle on any roadside where it is likely to cause a nuisance or road safety hazard to other road users or local residents.
10. Alteration of Vehicle
- No alteration to the specification, design, condition or appearance of the private hire vehicle shall be permitted without the approval of the Council.
11. CCTV and radio equipment
- A private hire vehicle may be permitted to fit CCTV recording equipment providing that it complies with the Council’s CCTV Guidance at the time of installation.
- The vehicle must display an approved notice that informs passengers that CCTV recording equipment is installed in the vehicle.
12. Advertising
- A private hire vehicle is not permitted to carry any form of advertisement apart from the private hire operator’s company name and contact details in the location specified in the Signage and Advertising guidelines as they relate to private hire vehicles.
13. Vehicle and Driver Inspection
- An Officer authorised by the Council or Police Officer may detain any licensed private hire vehicle for the purposes of inspection to ensure its fitness for use as a private hire vehicle, and/or examine the documentation of the driver of the vehicle. An inspection may include the operational condition of any fixtures, fittings or any other equipment installed in the vehicle.
- The driver of the vehicle must remain with the vehicle during inspection and not proceed until the authorised officer has given approval.
14. Proprietor records
- If the holder of a Private Hire vehicle licence hires to a private hire driver or operates this vehicle as part of a fleet of vehicles for hire, to a number of private hire drivers, he shall:
- Supply the name and address of the private hire driver using the vehicle, to the Council within 7 days of the commencement of any hiring agreement;
- Inform the Council of any alteration to the information required in condition 15.1(a) within 7 days of such a change;
- Maintain a record of the periods for which this vehicle was hired to a particular driver;
- Produce on demand to any Authorised Officer such records relating to the use of the vehicle as may from time to time be required.
- Obtain and hold for the period of engagement, employment or hiring a copy of the driver’s private hire driver licence.
15. Transfer of vehicle licence
- The proprietor of this private hire vehicle must notify the Council in writing of any transfer in ownership of the private hire vehicle as required by law.
- The person to whom this licence has been transferred must transfer the licence to their name with the Council upon payment of the relevant fee within 14 days of them acquiring ownership of the vehicle.
- This private hire vehicle licence is not transferable to another private hire vehicle.
Taxi Licensing contact information
Taxi Licensing Office
Plymouth City Council
Ballard House
West Hoe Road
Plymouth
PL1 3BJ
Email: taxi.licensing@plymouth.gov.uk
Website: Taxi licensing | PLYMOUTH.GOV.UK