South Ayrshire Council
Licensing Services
Town Buildings,
29 New Bridge Street, Ayr, KA7 1JX

Tel: 01292 617683
or 01292 617682

At the Policy and Resources Committee Meeting on 4th December 2002 the attached conditions were approved.

The following conditions were approved by the Policy and Resources Committee of 4th December 2002 and are now effective:-

(a) in order to be licensed as taxis vehicles must either be purpose-built as a taxi having M1 European Whole Vehicle Type Approval via the Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) or be custom-built as a taxi having both Low Volume Type Approval from the VCA and written approval from the Director of Development, Safety & Regulation;

(b) a taxi must be capable of carrying at least one wheelchair in a secure manner and be capable of loading the wheelchair via a side door from the pavement;

(c) taxis must be taken out of service and replaced as follows:- when a purpose-built taxi is nine years old from the date of first registration and when a custom-built taxi is six years old from date of first registration. A taxi must be no more than six years old from the date of first registration when first licensed by South Ayrshire Council.

(d) after a purpose built taxi is six years old from the date of first registration it shall be subject to testing every six months at the Council’s nominated inspection centre – annual testing only being required up to the time the taxi is six years old;

(e) a taxi must be a single colour subject to any agreed advertising and must not have heavily tinted windows whereby passengers cannot be easily seen from outwith the vehicle;

(f) taxis will be required to display new style plates on the front and rear of the vehicle together with new stickers on the rear side windows. The plates will display the plate number, the registration number, the vehicle type and the date of expiry of the relative licence to prevent the plates being displayed on an unlicensed vehicle. The plates will require to be replaced on renewal of licence and when there is a substitution of vehicle;

(g) taxis may be permitted to install security cameras inside the vehicle provided the system has been approved by the Director of Development, Safety and Regulation;

(h) taxis may be permitted to advertise on the side of the taxi i.e. the two doors and the front and rear panels on each side but not on the bonnet, boot or roof. Rear window advertisements of a material which allows the driver to maintain proper vision through the rear window should also be permitted. In all cases formal approval should continue to be obtained for the display of any advertisements from the Director of Development, Safety and Regulation;

(i) taxis must have installed only those types of taxi meters which have been approved by the Director of Development, Safety and Regulation. Any tariffs operated in addition to the approved tariff must be notified to the Council and a separate charge will be made for the checking of each tariff at the time of inspection of the vehicle.