The Town Police Clause Act 1847 requires a vehicle used to carry members of the public for hire and reward, to be licensed by the Local Authority.
Who needs to register a hackney carriage vehicle?
How do I renew my current licence?
How long does my licence last for?
How much will it cost?
What else will I need to do?
What additional processes do I need to consider?
How can I access the public register?
I want to compliment, complain or comment on a hackney carriage.
Who needs to register a hackney carriage vehicle?
Any vehicle that is provided for hire with the services of a driver and is used for the purpose of carrying passengers for payment or reward, must obtain a licence from the Local Authority. Bolton Council will only licence a hackney carriage vehicle (black-cab/taxi/euro-cab) if it is a motor vehicle which is approved by the London Public Carriage Office. Subject to Local Authority approval, it can be a vehicle which has been specially converted to a hackney carriage and has M1 type approval or low volume type approval from the Vehicle Type Approval Authority. All licensed hackney vehicles must meet wheelchair accessibility requirements.
Unlike a private hire vehicle - including minibuses with eight passenger seats or less, hackney carriage vehicles and drivers can transport members of the public who have not booked their journey in advance. A hackney carriage vehicle is provided for hire with the services of a driver for the purpose of carrying fare paying passengers and it can be hailed or flagged down in the street, or from an appointed hackney carriage rank within the Bolton area.
There are controlled numbers of hackney carriage vehicles. This controlled number is set by the Local Authority, who is required to complete an ‘unmet demand’ survey, before limiting the number of licences issued. There are currently no available hackney carriage vehicle licences.
A licensed hackney carriage vehicle will frequently carry young children and vulnerable adults as passengers. Safety is paramount – hackney carriage vehicle holders (proprietors) are in a position of great responsibility. A hackney carriage vehicle often creates the first impression of Bolton for many of the town’s visitors.
How do I renew my current licence?
Before completing an application form, please ensure you read through the 'hackney carriage vehicle guidance notes' which is contained in the pack.
Contact the Licensing Team to request an application pack. The address and contact telephone number is shown on the right hand side of this page.
The Local Authority will only accept an application to licence a hackney carriage vehicle if the vehicle complies with the following specifications:
• the vehicle is approved by the London Public Carriage Office
• the vehicle has been specially converted to a hackney carriage subject to M1 type approval or low volume type approval and the Local Authority agreement
• meets wheelchair accessibility requirements
• the vehicle should not exceed a length of 4660mm
• the vehicle is less than ten years old on the date the application is submitted
• the vehicles is not a “Q” registration
Since the 5th April 2005, no vehicle which is more than fifteen years old can be licensed as a hackney carriage vehicle.
No advertisements shall be displayed in or on a vehicle except with the permission of the Local Authority.
Vehicles must carry a fire extinguisher either a 2 litre AFFF (Aqueous Film Forming Foam) or 1.5kg dry powder type
To apply to renew a hackney carriage vehicle licence, you will need to:
• complete the 'hackney carriage vehicle application form'. Please contact the Licensing Team for the necessary application forms
• pay the licence fee of £91.00 for a six month licence
• provide a vehicle Pass Certificate – please read the following documents attached to the right hand side of this page:
(i) testing requirements
(ii) the list of approved testing stations
(iii) the approved bodywork standards
• produce a valid original insurance certificate or cover note in the applicants name and for the vehicle to be licensed
Usually on receipt of these items a licence and the vehicle licence expiry stickers will be issued.
This process is changing - to simplify the application and payment procedure the Team is working hard to develop an on line application and payment system. This will be available in 2010.
How long does my licence last for?
A hackney carriage vehicle licence usually lasts for six months.
How much will it cost?
The fee to renew a hackney carriage vehicle licence is £91 for a six month licence.
The Licensing Team will not process an application unless the necessary fee is paid in advance. Please send a cheque (made payable to Bolton Council) or postal order for the payment to the Licensing Unit - the postal address is on the right hand side of this page, or alternatively telephone the Team and pay by credit/debit card - the contact telephone number is on the right hand side of this page. Credit cards are subject to a 1.463% surcharge, this reflects the banks charges to the Council for accepting credit card payments.
This process is changing - to simplify the application and payment procedure the Team is working hard to develop an on line application and payment system. This will be available in 2010.
What else will I need to do?
Once a hackney carriage vehicle licence is issued, all vehicle proprietors and drivers are required to abide by the 'hackney carriage vehicle conditions' and 'byelaws' attached to the licence. Copies of the 'hackney carriage vehicle conditions' and 'byelaws' are available from the Licensing Team. The address and contact telephone number is shown on the right hand side of this page.
What additional processes do I need to consider?
When a vehicle holds a hackney carriage vehicle licence there must always be a policy of vehicle insurance in place. The Licensing Team will write to you and request a certificate if the details held by the team have expired. Failure to provide proof of this cover is an offence.
If you wish to transfer the ownership of a hackney carriage vehicle licence, this must be completed within fourteen days of the transfer, or an offence is committed. Please complete the application form ‘application to transfer a hackney carriage vehicle licence’, attached on the right hand side of this page. The fee is £44.00 for the change of ownership. Both you and the new owner are required to complete the application form. The new owner is required to submit an insurance policy or cover note for the vehicle in their name.
If you wish to change a vehicle currently covered by your hackney carriage vehicle licence, please complete the application form ‘application to change a hackney carriage vehicle licence’, attached on the right hand side of this page. The fee is calculated by deducting the full remaining months on the current licence from the full renewal/application fee. You are required to provide proof of ownership and that have a proprietary interest in the vehicle to which the application refers. The acceptable forms of such proof are:
(i) a V5 registration document in the name of the proprietor or,
(ii) a bill of sale, which is dated and contains the full name and address of the seller, the purchaser, a full description of the vehicle including make, model and registration number or,
(iii) a hire purchase agreement which is dated, contains the details of the vehicle and the full details of the persons to whom the agreement applies, or,
(iv) a lease agreement containing full details of the vehicle, the lessee and the lessor
If the meter fitted to your hackney carriage vehicle malfunctions, or is replaced, a further meter check maybe required to ensure the calibration is correct and the necessary Local Authority seals are applied. There is a fee of £25.00 for all meter checks, excluding those completed during a fare increase.
You can access the public register by clicking on the link at the right hand side of this page.
Alternatively, you can view the public register for hackney carriage vehicles by contacting the Licensing Team by email (licensing.unit@bolton.gov.uk), telephone or in writing . The address and telephone number are provided to the right hand side of this page. The register is available in paper format, which you can view at the Licensing Unit by appointment.
If you wish to compliment, complain or comment on a hackney carriage vehicle, please complete the ‘licensing enquiry form’ listed to the right hand side of this page. Once you have completed the form, click on file then save and attach this file to an email and forward it electronically to the Licensing Team (licensing.unit@bolton.gov.uk) or print the completed from and send it through the post. Alternatively you can contact the Licensing Team to request a pack. The address and contact telephone number is shown on the right hand side of this page.