Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Inspections

Introduction

North Ayrshire Council is the "Licensing Authority" for North Ayrshire under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and is responsible for licensing:

• vehicles to be used as "Taxis" and "Private Hire Cars"
• their drivers.

The Council is legally prohibited from granting or renewing a licence for a vehicle unless it is satisfied that the vehicle is suitable in type, size and design for use as a taxi or private hire car, is safe for that use, and is appropriately insured.

To comply with licensing conditions, operators are required to present their vehicles to North Ayrshire Council’s Transport Hub for inspection on an annual or six-monthly basis.

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance for the Taxi and Private Hire vehicle operators within North Ayrshire and to outline the standards expected for the vehicle inspection. These are carried out by North Ayrshire Council’s Transport Hub at the West Byrehill Workshop, Kilwinning.

Vehicle inspections for "Taxis" and "Private Hire Cars"

Inspections are required in addition to the M.O.T. test and must take place annually, unless the vehicle is older than 5 years old, where inspections will be conducted every 6 months.

Vehicles can be booked for annual or six-monthly inspections by contacting the Council’s Licensing Office on 01294 324305. When booking, the operator will need to produce:

• the DVLA Registration Document ("V5")
• the Insurance cover-note or Policy
• if the vehicle has one, the M.O.T. Certificate (under Road Traffic Act, Section 47, a "Taxi" needs an annual test after the first year since its First Registration, which is different from the rule for a "Private Hire Car" where the M.O.T. requirement arises after the third year).

The Garage Inspection test is required to ensure that licensed vehicles are being maintained to a high standard and fit for use as "Taxi" or "Private Hire Car" vehicles. It is to a higher standard than the M.O.T. test.

The test should not be used to identify faults or as a means to bring the vehicle up to the required standard. Vehicle operators should not presume that, if the vehicle has or can pass a standard M.O.T. test, that it will pass the Council test, or that if vehicle has an M.O.T. Certificate but fails the Council test, the Council test has been conducted wrongly.

The vehicle condition required to pass the Taxi and Private Hire Car vehicle inspection is higher than that of a M.O.T test. The list of standards required is set out below (see "Inspection Standards"), but the rule of thumb is that any area within a M.O.T. inspection where a "pass with minor advisory" is awarded will result in a failure. "Pass with Minor Advisory" will alone cause a "fail" of the Taxi/PHC Section 10(2) inspection. The Licensing Committee on 16 May 2018 remitted to the Solicitor (Licensing) and Corporate Transport Manager to amend further the detailed wording of the Inspection Standards in light of changes to the MOT Standards.

The inspection will extend beyond assessing the mechanical condition, and will also cover bodywork condition, cleanliness and suitability to operate as a "Taxi" or "Private Hire Car".

All vehicles will be road-tested to ensure that systems and component parts function properly, and that the vehicle does not display symptoms indicating serious or otherwise undetected faults, for example steering and suspension. Taxis will undergo a combined meter and road-test over a pre-determined route from the Testing Station to the meter markers and return.

Testers responsible for inspecting vehicles are experienced professionals and are trained as DVSA Nominated Testers. They are required to use their judgement when conducting an inspection to determine the suitability and safety of vehicles inspected.

The inspection process

The Council’s garage has facilities to enable the operator to view the inspection while it is in progress. Operators are encouraged to use these facilities so that, if there is a dispute about a defect, the tester can show it to the operator. Testers will explain defects and advise on the other areas of concern, but any disputes as to the test outcomes and failures should be directed to the Workshop Team Manager in the first instance.

Disputes

If a dispute is not raised at the time, it is possible that the tester will not be available. If a re-test is booked, the operator would have to pay a further booking fee even if the original test outcome is disputed. A dispute will only be considered if the vehicle remains at the Council’s Transport Hub pending resolution of the dispute. If a vehicle is removed from there and later re-inspected, the Council does not know that the vehicle has not been repaired or altered in the interval. DVSA has no involvement in setting these higher standards, so any challenge to a decision under them will be dealt with by the Authority, not DVSA.

After the inspection

If the vehicle inspection results in a failure, it is the responsibility of the licence-holder to arrange any remedial work prior to being presented for a re-test.

In addition to the annual / six-monthly inspections, spot-checks on vehicle condition may be conducted periodically by an authorised officer of the licensing authority, or by Police, any of whom can remove licence plates and instruct remedial work to be carried out.

In such a circumstance, the vehicle must be represented to Transport Hub at West Byrehill, Kilwinning before approval and return of licence plate will be granted.

Inspection standards

Taxis and Private Hire Cars will be inspected using both:

• the current M.O.T. Inspection Manual – Private Passenger and Light Commercial Vehicle Testing (Class 4); and
• the "Additional Inspection Criteria" set out below.

Additional inspection criteria

Lights and electrical system

Drivers compartment and controls

Steering, drive and suspension

Wheels, tyres and brakes

Fuel and exhaust system

Vehicle cleanliness/appearance/structure

Doors, windows and visibility

Meter testing

Additional equipment

Road test