Licensing of Hackney Carriage or Private Hire vehicles and drivers enables the monitoring and regulation of the condition of vehicles used to carry members of the public, and ensures that drivers of vehicles are fit and proper people,as well as being capable and responsible to do the job.
Your attention is drawn to the new regulations governing the use of child car seats that will come into force on 18 September 2006 - please read attached guidelines in the top right hand corner of this screen

Licences are required for vehicles used for Hire and reward and are capable of carrying up to 8 passengers.  Such vehicles are licensed as either a Hackney Carriage or Private Hire vehicle.  Although there are considerable similarities, there are also significant differences between the two in how they are permitted to operate. Drivers of all licensed vehicles are required to be licensed by Restormel Borough Council.

Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing (Taxis)
73 Hackney Carriage Vehicles, 122 Private Hire Vehicle and 49 Private Hire Operators are licensed by the Borough. Licensing controls are in place to protect the public using these vehicles. License conditions follow nationally set guidance however enforcement is limited by staff resources. Effective enforcement of taxi licensing controls is an issue constantly raised by operators.

Following the concerns raised by Taxi operators the Head of Environmental Services agreed to undertake a programme of consultation with Taxi operators during September/October 2002, following which the scope, management and enforcement of the service will be reviewed.

a)         What is the difference between a Private Hire and a Hackney Carriage Vehicle?

Hackney Carriage vehicles can ply for hire (wait on a taxi rank or be hailed by a person to hire the vehicle). They can also be hired by pre-booking.  When hired the meter must be set and the fare indicated may not be exceeded although a lower fare may be agreed before the journey begins.

Private Hire vehicles can only accept pre bookings, they cannot ply for hire.  Owners of Private Hire vehicles must also obtain an Operators Licence from the Council.

1.                  How do I obtain a Private Hire Operators Licence?

You will need to submit an Application Form and pay the correct licence fee for one year or three years.  (Please see current licensing fees for correct pricing on the above link)  The back of the application form must be completed, this is a Statutory Declaration. You will also need to have a copy of the current certificate of insurance for Employer's Liability Policy (this however is not required if you do not employ people).

a)             What happens next?

Once you have completed the application, you can either send in the application with fee via the post or you can drop the application into our offices.

3.         How do I obtain a Vehicle Licence?

You will need to submit a completed Application Form  and pay the  correct licence fee.  You will also need to produce a valid MOT certificate, and the vehicle must be tested and Inspection documents (inspections must be carried out at the Council's specified testing centres at Bodmin or Scorrier Tel: 01872 327827 or 01872 327252).  It will be necessary to have a Current Insurance Certificate/ Cover Note that clearly states that the vehicle is covered for passenger liability in its use as a private hire/ hackney carriage vehicle, the Vehicle registration document and if the vehicle is fitted with LPG, a certificate of worthiness. 
 

 a)             What happens next?

Once the vehicle has successfully received an MOT certificate, you must arrange for the vehicle to be inspected together with the rest of your documents at the Council offices.  Appointments are essential to ensure that an officer is available to carry out the inspection.

b)            Conditions

You will be required to meet certain conditions relating to the standards of the vehicle and equipment contained within (e.g. fire extinguishers etc.). Once the criteria is met, the licence will be issued.

c)             Checks and Enforcement

The Council has a duty to ensure that vehicle standards are maintained and spot checks will be carried out at random and without prior notification. If the vehicle is found to be below the standards required, the Council will take enforcement action as necessary.

4.             How do I obtain a drivers licence

You will need to request an application pack from the Licensing Section. The pack consists of an application form, a medical certificate (to be completed by your GP) and CRB  request form for criminal records (information leaflet also provided). You will also need to have a Road Traffic Driving Licence (to have been held for a minimum of 1 year) and also minimum 3 passport photographs. An application fee of £53.00 is also required (£84.00 for dual licence)

a)             What happens next?

It is recommended that you complete the CRB request for criminal records well in advance as applications may take in excess of 4-6 weeks to be processed. After you have completed

the form, please bring it to the Council offices, together with proof of identification (i.e. passport, driving licence with photo etc) so that it can be checked and countersigned by our officers. The request form will then be forwarded to the Criminal Records Bureau for processing.

If you have any convictions (spent or unspent) or there are any other causes for concern, your application will be determined by the Council's Licensing Panel 1.  You will be required to attend an interview with the Panel, which comprises 5 Members of the Licensing Committee.  Full details of the procedure will be provided prior to the meeting if appropriate.

FAQs
 

1.             What happens when I renew my vehicle licence?

You will need to follow the same application procedures as you would when Licensing your vehicle for the first time.

2.        What happens when I want to renew my drivers licence?

Again, the same application procedure for a new driver will need to be followed

3.             What if I want to transfer my plate onto a new vehicle?

An application form for transfer of vehicle licence is available on request from the Licensing Section. Once completed, you will need to have a vehicle registration document, MOT certificate and check list issued at the C.C.C.  Testing Station, a current Insurance Cover Note/Certificate, a Certificate of worthiness if your vehicle is fitted with LPG.

4.             Can I apply to drive both Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles?

It is possible to upgrade existing Hackney Carriage/Private Hire Drivers licence to cover both (dual licence).  An application form is available on request from the Licensing Section and you will need to pay a licence fee of £48.00. You will also need to produce your Road Traffic Driving Licence and 2 x passport type photographs

5.             How can I obtain sideplates?

All licensed Private Hire Vehicles must display sideplates at all times.  To obtain sideplates, you will need to fill in a form available from the Council Offices. For magnetic plates, you will need to pay £33.00 for a pair or £20.00 for one plate.  For self Adhesive Plates you will need to pay £27.50 for a pair or £15 for a single plate.

6.             What if I lose my vehicle badge or my plates are stolen?

You must inform the Licensing Department of the loss of your badge/plate so that we can arrange replacement.  A replacement of an internal/external plate and a replacement badge will require the correct fee - please see attached current licesing fees.

7.             What should I do if my vehicle is involved in an accident?

You must inform the Licensing Department that your vehicle has been in an accident and we will ask you to return your plates to the Council Offices while your vehicle is off the road.  If you have a temporary vehicle while your vehicle is being repaired, then you must arrange for that vehicle to be issued with temporary plates.

http://www.restormel.gov.uk/index.cfm?articleid=11532