Taxi and private hire vehicle conditions and byelaws

Suitable for purpose

The vehicle must be a suitable type and design, safe and comfortable.

Not look like a taxi 

As well as ensuring the vehicle does not look like a taxi you must make sure that you or anyone employed by you does not do anything which might lead the public to believe that the vehicle is:

• standing or plying for hire in a street or
• acting in any way as a taxi might do.  It is unlawful to stand or ply for hire in any street within Waverley without a taxi (Hackney Carriage) licence.

No signage

You can't put any signs, or advertising on the vehicle, unless we have approved it.

Only use licensed drivers or operators

You must not employ someone to drive your licenced vehicle unless they have a private hire driver’s licence with us and bookings must be through someone with a private hire operators’ licence from us.

If using a meter

You do not have to use a meter as a private hire driver, but if you do ensure that it has:

• not been altered or tampered with except with the prior approval of the council.  It must be retested by us if it is altered or if the seal/s fixed by us are broken
• have the fare recorded on the taximeter in plainly legible figures, and the word ‘FARE’ shall be clearly displayed so it is clear that it applies to those figures
• kept securely fixed in a position that the fare recorded is visible to all passengers within the vehicle at all times, and the figures must be illuminated for this purpose whenever necessary

If fitted, we need to test it before you can use it.

​If we or the police ask you for your vehicle licence you must produce it within 5 days.

For more information on the standard conditions of your Private Hire vehicle licence see (policy link pdf Annexe 4)

• be well maintained and roadworthy and serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• pass our inspection test. Inspections are of the inside and outside of the car and are carried out at least once a year.  We can carry out spot checks at any time and you must take the vehicle for inspection when and where we reasonably ask you to.
• have a 6 month inspection in addition to the annual inspection if at the date of first licensing or renewal the vehicle is 5 years or older. These vehicles will be issued with six-month plates.
• be clean and tidy inside and out
• have at least 4 passenger doors each with a seat belt. (Seating Capacity is determined by Road Traffic Regulations.)
• have a minimum engine capacity of 1575 cc. (Applications to licence a hybrid/electric vehicle, or any vehicle with an engine capacity of less than 1575cc must be made to us in writing. We will grant a licence to vehicles if we are satisfied with its efficiency, size, design and safety standards.
• no age limit [subject to change]
• have a maximum of eight passenger seats
• not be a convertible vehicle.Vehicles with a sunroof area of 50% or less are allowed.

All licenced vehicles need to be:

• properly taxed
• covered by a current valid MOT certificate, you can ask for an MOT to be carried out when you apply for the vehicle test. MOT’s must be carried out each year
• covered by full ‘hire and reward’ insurance and in line with the Road Traffic Act and all relevant legislation. There must be no break in insurance cover for the period you hold a licence.  Insurance is not accepted if it includes an extra person who does not hold a licence from us to drive the vehicle. You must show us evidence of your insurance if we ask you to.

All drivers must hold the right licence(s)

You, as the owner, must not employ anyone as a driver who does not hold the correct licence:

• a hackney carriage drivers licence for a hackney carriage vehicle or
• a private hire drivers licence for a private hire vehicle.

• You must
  • notify us of any damage or accident affecting the safety, performance or appearance of the vehicle, or the comfort or convenience of passengers as soon as possible and within 72 hours of the accident or damage happening. This is as well as your duty to notify the Police.
• The vehicle must
  • not have any changes to the manufacturer’s specification, including to fixtures, fittings, stickers, decals or decorative painting, unless we have first approved them.
  • carry no more passengers than the number shown on the vehicle plate and vehicle’s paper licence
  • have no more than 25% tint in the windscreen, and no more than 30% tint in any other window. Tinted films applied to the vehicle windows are not allowed.
• Be a right-hand-drive vehicle.

All vehicles must have:

First aid kit

The first aid kit needs to:

• comply with the list of contents for travelling first aid kits recommended by the Approved Code of Practice and Guidance: First Aid at Work - The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulation 1981 L74  
• is permanently marked with the licence plate of the vehicle.
• includes:
  • 6 safety pins
  • 4 individually wrapped triangular bandages
  • 2 sterile eye pads
  • 20 individually wrapped sterile adhesive dressings (assorted sizes)
  • A leaflet giving general guidance on first aid
  • Has items marked with ‘best before dates’ which must not have expired
  • Is checked regularly and any damaged items replaced.

Fire extinguisher

As a minimum, the fire extinguisher should:

• carry a multi-purpose dry powder or foam (AFFF) spray extinguisher conforming to British Standard EN3, minimum weight 1kg. 
• be permanently marked with the licence plate of the vehicle. All first aid kits and fire extinguishers must be marked with the current vehicle plate number, to be written in indelible ink.

Spare or emergency tyre

• you need to carry a spare wheel matching those fitted to the vehicle
• if you use a space saver tyre, run flat tyre (when punctured), or puncture repair kit, this must comply precisely with the manufacturers’ recommendations
• repaired tyres and space saver tyres must only be used to complete a fare.  It must be replaced before taking another fare.
• have a good way of changing the wheel.  

The vehicle must:

• display the internal licence sticker in the front window at all times
• display and fix the vehicle licence number plate to the outside of the back of the vehicle, unless you have a Private Hire vehicle and a letter from us saying you do not need to do this. You should use the bracket fixing provided, or an acceptable substitute agreed with us
• not be dual licensed
• registered to you.  We will check your registration document, or invoice if newly purchased, you must provide the updated log book within 6 - 8 weeks.  If you transfer or sell your vehicle to someone else you must tell us the name and address of the new owner within 14 days.

You must:

• tell us in writing within 14 days if you sell or transfer your vehicle to another person giving the name and address of the new owner
• not have any other signs or adverts visible from the outside or inside of the vehicle other than those listed in hackney carriage vehicle conditions below, unless we agree to them first.

Make sure that any disabled person wishing to travel as a passenger in the vehicle, and who is accompanied by an assistance dog can do so.  The assistance dog should remain with the passenger.  There must be no extra charge for taking the assistance dog.