Licensing of Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles

List of Requirements

1. Every vehicle presented for inspection for licensing as a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle is expected to be in first class condition. 
2. The mechanical condition is to be confirmed by a detailed inspection undertaken at the expense of the proprietor by a suitable garage or other vehicle maintenance business. 
3. The inspection report is to be completed and signed by the fitter who has carried out the inspection and his signature and qualifications are to be authenticated by the addition of the name and address of the garage by means of a business rubber stamp.
4. In the case of a recently acquired vehicle a report from the garage which sold the car will not be accepted. 
5. The Council reserve the right to call for a separate additional mechanical inspection by an independent garage. 
6. It is recommended that a set of spare bulbs be carried in licensed vehicles.
7. All vehicles will be subject to not less than one annual visual inspection of its suitability and cleanliness by the Council’s Licensing Officer.  Strict compliance with the following points is also required at all times:
   1. All applicants wishing to licence taxi or private hire vehicles in the Fareham Borough must have a residential or postal address within the Borough at which the vehicle can be registered, PO boxes are not acceptable.
   2. Hackney carriages to go onto new plates must be under two years old from date of first registration.
   3. Hackney carriages to be transferred to an existing plate must be under five years from date of first registration.
   4. The licence number shall be displayed on the outside of the vehicle on the official plate provided.
   5. The vehicle is to be equipped with a ‘for hire’ sign in the lower left area of the front windscreen.
   6. The vehicle is to be equipped with a roof sign showing the word ‘taxi’ to both the front and the rear.
   7. The vehicle is to have a meter checked by the Borough Council’s Licensing Officer in accordance with the Council’s current fare tariff and a copy of the tariff is to be clearly visible inside the vehicle.
   8. The vehicle is to be fitted with an efficient fire extinguisher in such a position as to be readily available for use by the driver.  (With a date stamp of expiry or pressure gauge with the marker in the green area.)
   9. The minimum wheelbase acceptable for any vehicle to be licensed as a taxi or private hire vehicle should be 100 inches (2540 mms).
   10. The seating capacity of the vehicle to be determined where bench seats are provided on the basis of not less than 16 inches per person on a standard rear seat in total 48” (1220mms) and(up to a maximum of 8 persons excluding the driver.
   11. The vehicle to have adequate internal luggage space in relation to the number of passengers licensed to be carried.  (Roof boxes or trailers are not acceptable.)
   12. The vehicle to be right hand drive only.
   13. The vehicle to have not less than four road wheels.
   14. The vehicle to be fitted with not less than four doors giving adequate access and egress from the vehicle.
   15. The use of the vehicle to be covered by a valid certificate of insurance covering the carriage of passengers for hire or reward.
   16. All hackney vehicles over one year old to be covered by a current Department of Transport Certificate (MOT).
   17. It is a requirement of the Council that seat belts be provided for all persons, as per the Department of Transport guidelines.
   18. The seat belt notice is to be displayed inside the vehicle.

Note:

Items b, c, e, f, g and p apply to hackney carriage only.

Items a, d, h, I, j, k, l, m, n, o, q and r apply to both private hire and hackney vehicle.

Item p does not apply to private hire vehicles which are treated the same as privately owned vehicles, i.e. vehicles are three years old before needing an MOT.

These requirements form a part of the Conditions for Hackney and Private Hire Vehicles in Fareham Borough.