These specifications are made by virtue of the Plymouth City Council Act 1975 and shall apply to all hackney carriages licensed on or after the effective date of 1 April 2024, superseding all previous versions.
General Vehicle Suitability
This document sets out to provide vehicle proprietors with the minimum standards a vehicle must satisfy in order to be licensed as a Hackney Carriage by Plymouth City Council. All hackney carriages must be wheelchair accessible, seat no more than 8 passengers, must have M1 classification from the Vehicle Certification Agency, be of fixed head design (i.e. no convertible vehicles) and fully comply with all aspects of the Vehicle Compliance Testing Manual.
Any prospective vehicle purchaser is strongly advised to seek advice from the Taxi Licensing Office,
before purchasing any vehicle which they intend to licence.
All vehicles must have European Whole Vehicle Type Approval (EWVTA), Low Volume Type Approval or Individual Vehicle Type Approval from the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA).
Vehicles intending to be licensed as hackney carriages must be presented to a Council appointed vehicle testing station and pass the vehicle compliance test before any licence can be granted. Further information on the Vehicle Compliance Test can be found in the vehicle Compliance Test Procedures document, and the Vehicle Compliance Testing Manual that can be found at: Vehicle specifications and compliance testing.
Vehicles that have been categorised by insurance companies as a Category A, B or S insurance write offs will not be accepted as suitable for a licence.
The vehicle shall have no significant signs of damage, or corrosion and paintwork must be of a “professional” finish. The passenger compartment and upholstery must be clean and free from damage that may affect its suitability for the carriage of passengers.
Licensing legislative framework
Plymouth City Council is the regulatory Licensing Authority for vehicles operating as either Hackney Carriage or Private Hire vehicles within the city. The Council obtains its powers for licensing purposes from the Plymouth City Council Acts of 1975 and 1987, and the Town Police Clauses Act 1847. This legislation enables the Council to determine the characteristics and specifications that vehicles must satisfy in order to be granted a licence. In order to assist vehicle proprietors, the Council has produced separate vehicle specifications for each vehicle licence category. These specifications provide the general requirements that vehicles must satisfy, for them to be considered for licensing purposes by the Council.
Vehicle Specifications – Hackney Carriage
1. Vehicle Dimensions and Steering
- The maximum length of any vehicle licensed as a hackney carriage shall be 5 metres (5000mm). Any ancillary equipment or accessories attached to the vehicle such as tow bars will be included within the overall vehicle length.
- The wheelbase shall be a minimum of 2.44m (2440mm)
- The maximum step height on a passenger door shall be 0.43m (430mm)
- The steering wheel and driver’s controls shall be fitted to the offside of the vehicle, i.e., right- hand drive.
2. Doors
- All vehicles must have at least four doors with two passenger doors at the rear with a door situated on each side of the vehicle for the use of passengers. Rear opening doors are not counted for the purpose of this specification.
- The driver’s door must be situated on the offside and the passenger door on the nearside of the vehicle.
- Sliding doors are permitted. Any sliding door must be fitted with a device that will illuminate a sign mounted on the rear of the vehicle, which warns following traffic that the doors are opening.
- All passenger doors must be fitted with an Automated Door Locking System which prevents the doors from being opened whilst the vehicle is in motion.
- Passenger doors must be capable of being readily opened from the inside and outside of the vehicle by one operation of the latch mechanism.
3. Windows
- Windows must be provided in each passenger compartment and the driver compartment and be capable of being opened or adjusted by passengers when required.
- The front windscreen must achieve a minimum of 75% light transmittance.
- All front side windows must achieve a minimum of 70% light transmittance.
- Mirrored tints will not be permitted.
4. Seating
- No vehicle shall have more than 8 passenger seats (excluding the driver seat)
- Each separate forward-facing seat must be provided with the properly functioning seatbelt.
- Where continuous forward-facing seating are provided, each seating position shall be counted where a properly functioning seatbelt is provided.
- The vertical distance between the highest point of the un-deflected seat cushion and the top of the floor covering must not be less than 0.35m (350mm).
- Grab handles or other suitable means must be provided to assist passengers to rise from the rear seat.
- Rear facing occasional tip up seats are permitted, provided they rise automatically when not in use.
- Where seats are placed facing each other there must be a clear space of 0.38m (380mm) between any part of the front of a seat and any part of the other seat that faces it.
- A front seat may be used for the carriage of passengers provided it is within the licensed capacity of the vehicle providing such seat is fitted by a suitably qualified mechanic and a properly functioning seatbelt.
5. Heating and Lighting
- An adequate heating system must be provided in the passenger compartment which is capable of being controlled by any passenger.
- An adequate heating system must be provided within the driver compartment.
- Adequate lighting must be provided within the passenger compartment which can be controlled by the passenger.
- Adequate lighting must be available in the driver compartment.
6. Wheels and Tyres
- All vehicles must have a minimum of 4 road wheels fitted to the vehicle.
- Wheels and tyres must be of a suitable size to ensure the correct operation of the calibrated taximeter.
7. Taximeter and Ancillaries
- A taximeter of an approved type must be fitted within the vehicle in such a position to be readily seen by passengers within the passenger compartment.
- An illuminated taxi ‘For Hire’ lamp must be fitted in an approved position. The words ‘Taxi’ or ‘For Hire’ shall be illuminated to be clearly visible both by day and by night when the taxi is not hired and be extinguished or display the word ‘hired’ when the taxi is hired.
8. Wheelchair Accessibility
- All Hackney Carriages must be capable of carrying a wheelchair as specified by the manufacturer of the vehicle.
- Only the nearside rear passenger door opening is permitted for use in loading a wheelchair.
- Rear loading wheelchair access is not permitted.
- Ramps to assist with the loading and unloading of wheelchairs must be available for use and kept in good working order.
- All wheelchair securing devices, fixtures and fittings as specified by the vehicle manufacturer must be available for use and kept in good working order.
9. Emission Standards and Fuel
- Diesel, petrol or electric powered vehicles are permitted to be licensed as hackney carriages.
- All vehicles plated for the first time by the Council (including existing proprietors on the change of vehicle), must meet the Euro 6 emissions standard as a minimum.
- However, from 1 April 2030, all vehicles (renewals and new applications) must be an Ultra-Low Emission Vehicle (ULEV) as defined by the UK’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles as emitting less than 50g CO2/Km and able to travel at least 70 miles without any emissions at all.
10. Signage
- From 1 April 2024, each new Hackney Carriage Vehicle on application and existing Hackney Carriage Vehicles on renewal of licence, shall display signs on the front passenger and driver’s door in accordance with the design approved and supplied by the Council. The signs shall be constructed of vinyl and be centrally applied directly to the driver and front passenger door.
11. General
- The foregoing provisions give a general guide to the features which will be considered when assessing a vehicle's suitability for licensing. They are not exhaustive and the Council retains the sole discretion to approve or reject any vehicle if it is not considered suitable for licensing for any reason.
- The Council reserve the right not to licence a particular vehicle as a hackney carriage if this particular make is already licensed as a private hire vehicle.
- All fixtures and fittings must be fitted as per manufacturer’s instructions and be in good working order.
Contact information
Taxi Licensing Office
Ballard House
West Hoe Road
Plymouth
PL1 3LS
Email: taxi.licensing@plymouth.gov.uk
Website: www.plymouth.gov.uk/taxi-licensing