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Taxis, private hire vehicles and transport licensing

Information on what is required to licence a vehicle or transfer a vehicle licence to another person. Information about who needs to apply for a taxi/hackney carriage licence. How to apply for a pleasure boat, full or restricted boat licence. How to apply for a small bus permit.

Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicles

Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles are subject to rigorous checks to ensure mechanical reliability and ensure they provide safety and comfort for passengers and drivers. Licensed vehicles are subject to conditions set out in the Taxi Licensing Policy and are tested and inspected according to the Taxi Compliance Testing Standards handbook.

As proprietors of licensed vehicles have a duty of care in relation to public safety to ensure vehicles are properly maintained, and the potential of taxis to be used as transportation in criminal activities, proprietors must establish they are “fit and proper” to hold a licence. This is performed by obtaining a Basic Disclosure certificate from the Disclosure & Barring Service upon grant or transfer of a vehicle. Holders of a current Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence issued by North Lincolnshire Council are already considered to be fit and proper, as more stringent tests are applied in the course of obtaining that licence, and will not require a basic disclosure.

Hackney carriage vehicles may ply for hire and pick up fares.

They must carry a yellow square plate displayed on the rear of the vehicle, a top light showing the licence number and side panels on the front doors. The external plate identifies the vehicle, its expiry date and licence number. This information is also displayed on a sticker inside the vehicle, along with tariffs of the maximum fare that can be charged. The side panels identify the licence number.

Vehicles must have undergone a mechanical test and a visual appearance check before gaining a licence.

Vehicles over five years old upon the issue of a licence are subject to a further supplementary mechanical test. The licence expiry date is set to expire when a supplementary is due and a separate application is required to renew the licence following a supplementary mechanical.

We have tried to make these documents as accessible as possible. If you require a different format, please contact us. You can read our Accessibility Statement on our website.

Downloadable application form:

Fees and charges

You can find the fee for this licence by going to our licence fee register.

MOT exemption

To tax your vehicle at the Post Office or DVLA local office, you will be required to produce a V112 exemption form.

Equality Act 2010

Under the Equality Act 2010, drivers of Hackney Carriage and private hire vehicles have a legal obligation to carry passengers and assistance dogs.  When carrying these passengers, drivers can not charge any more than the metered fare and must allow the assistance dog to remain with the passenger.  The term “assistance dogs” refer to more than just guide dogs for blind people. It includes:

  • Guide dogs for the blind – white harness with yellow fluorescent strips
  • Hearing dogs for the deaf – burgundy jacket
  • Dogs for the disabled (seven years to adult) – yellow jacket
  • Dogs for the disabled (to work with children) – blue harness
  • Canine partners (people with physical impairments) – purple jacket
  • Support dogs (physical and other impairments) – blue jacket

Under the Act, it is an offence for any operator or driver to refuse to carry assistance dogs. On conviction for such an offence, drivers can be fined up to £1,000.

Where a driver has an allergy to dogs, the driver must apply for an exemption from carrying assistance dogs.  If no exemption has been applied for and subsequently granted, then drivers are still required to carry assistance dogs. Where an application is made to the licensing authority for an exemption, it must be supported by medical evidence. The driver with the allergy should be under the care of a specialist consultant and will be required to produce reports from their consultant.

The Equality Act 2010 also places duties on drivers when carrying disabled passengers. Drivers must carry the passenger, carry the wheelchair or mobility aids they have, take reasonable steps to ensure they are safe and comfortable, provide mobility assistance and take reasonable steps to help the passenger identify and find the vehicle.

Drivers must also not make, or propose to make, any additional charge for the above.

Mobility assistance includes to enable the passenger to get into or out of the vehicle, and to load the passenger’s luggage, wheelchair, or mobility aids into or out of the vehicle.

Where driver has medical grounds or a physical condition that makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult to perform this mobility assistance, they must apply for an exemption from these duties.

As with assistance dogs, if no exemption has been applied for and subsequently granted, then drivers are still required to provide mobility assistance. These exemptions must be supported by medical evidence.

Private hire vehicles are only available for pre-arranged journeys and the fare is agreed before the journey. They may have a meter. These vehicles must not have a top light, sign, illumination or notice that would lead the public to think it was a hackney carriage. Similarly, any advertising for private hire must not refer to taxis or hackney carriages.

Licensed private hire vehicles in North Lincolnshire have a green square external plate, internal sticker and side panels. The external plate identifies the vehicle, its expiry date and licence number. This information is also displayed on a sticker inside the vehicle. The side panels identify the licence number.

We have tried to make these documents as accessible as possible. If you require a different format, please contact us. You can read our Accessibility Statement on our website.

Downloadable application form:

Fees and charges:

You can find the fee for this licence by going to our licence fee register.

MOT Exemption

To tax your vehicle at the Post Office or DVLA local office you will be required to produce a V112 exemption form.

Equality Act 2010

Under the Equality Act 2010, drivers of Hackney carriage and private hire vehicles have a legal obligation to carry passengers and assistance dogs.  When carrying these passengers, drivers can not charge any more than the metered fare and must allow the assistance dog to remain with the passenger.  The term “assistance dogs” refer to more than just guide dogs for blind people. It includes:

  • Guide dogs for the blind – white harness with yellow fluorescent strips
  • Hearing dogs for the deaf – burgundy jacket
  • Dogs for the disabled (seven years to adult) – yellow jacket
  • Dogs for the disabled (to work with children) – blue harness
  • Canine partners (people with physical impairments) – purple jacket
  • Support dogs (physical and other impairments) – blue jacket

Under the Act, it is an offence for any operator or driver to refuse to carry assistance dogs. On conviction for such an offence, drivers can be fined up to £1,000.

Where a driver has an allergy to dogs, the driver must apply for an exemption from carrying assistance dogs.  If no exemption has been applied for and subsequently granted, then drivers are still required to carry assistance dogs. Where an application is made to the licensing authority for an exemption, it must be supported by medical evidence. The driver with the allergy should be under the care of a specialist consultant and will be required to produce reports from their consultant.

We have launched a new online booking service for taxi and private hire vehicle appointments at Church Square House. This will replace telephone bookings for any appointments of new, renewal and supplementary tests (including retests) for November 2023 onwards.

Using the new service, you can select from any available time slots for your type of application and receive an email confirmation of your appointment. The email confirmation also gives you a link that allows you to reschedule or cancel your booking.

Please note, mechanical tests performed at the North Lincolnshire Council MOT Testing Centre are still booked by phone at 01724 297812.

Where a licensed vehicle is sold or otherwise transferred to another proprietor, the licence holder must give notice of the transfer within 14 days of the sale.

Downloadable application form for licensed vehicle transfer

Both parties have to complete a part of this form.  Proof of insurance is also required from the proposed new licence holder. A basic disclosure will also be required under the same circumstances as detailed above.

Fees and charges

You can find the fee for this licence by going to our licence fee register.

Private Hire Operators

Anyone wishing to operate private hire vehicles to carry passengers for hire and reward.

As private hire work is done by prior arrangement, records must be kept showing relevant details. This includes details of journeys, the vehicles used and who the driver was. This requires a level of administration and people who operate private hire vehicles must hold an operator’s licence.

Checks are made to ensure that operators are “fit and proper” people to hold a licence. In considering the fitness and propriety test for Private Hire Operators, applicants for a Private Hire Operator licence will be required to obtain a basic disclosure certificate from the Disclosure and Barring Service by visiting the Government website. Holders of a current Hackney Carriage or Private Hire Vehicle Driver Licence are already considered to be fit and proper, as more stringent tests are applied in the course of obtaining that licence, and will not require a basic disclosure.

In addition to the basic check, they will also be required to:

  • Provide evidence of right to work in the UK.
  • Ensure they hold current public liability insurance providing cover of at least £10 million
  • Provide a declaration of convictions recorded against them
  • Complete a Safeguarding & CSE Awareness course conducted by Licensing
  • Ensure the telephone number for the private hire office has a land line number for bookings to be made.

Full details of the requirements and conditions are available in the Taxi Licensing Policy  [PDF, 2 MB].

Please complete the Private Hire Vehicle Operators application form and email to licensing@northlincs.gov.uk

Fees and charges

You can find the fee for this licence by going to our licence fee register. You can apply for a one year or a five year licence.

Taxi warning points scheme

The warning points scheme covers all holders of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Drivers Licences, proprietors of licensed vehicles and Private Hire Operators.

The scheme has been developed to provide the Licensing (Miscellaneous) Sub-Committee and Licensing Officers with more options when dealing with breaches to licence conditions or when an offence has been committed. Under the legislation, the only options available to the Committee are to issue a warning, suspend or revoke a licence, while officers can either prosecute or refer to the Committee.

The points scheme allows Licensing Officers and Members of the Committee to attach points, thus bridging the gap between a warning and suspension or revocation. These points serve as a warning with a time limit, with a trigger for a review of the licence should 12 or more points be imposed at any one time.

A copy of the warning points scheme is attached as Appendix G to the Taxi Licensing Policy [PDF, 2 MB] and a list of the points that may be attached for each breach or offence is attached as Schedule 1 to Appendix G.

I have received warning points, can I appeal?

If you are issued warning points by a Licensing Officer then you have the right of appeal to the Licensing (Miscellaneous) Sub-Committee. To launch an appeal you should complete a Taxi Licensing Appeal Form [PDF, 55 KB] and return it to the Licensing team.

There is no appeal against the decision of the Licensing (Miscellaneous) Sub-Committee to give you points.

Boat licences

If you want to use a boat or other craft on the UK’s rivers and canals, you must register, buy a licence or pay a toll to the appropriate navigation authority for that waterway. Hire boats are licensed by the hire company, but you may want to use the boat on a waterway that it is not licensed for. If this is your plan you should consult the company first.

If you already know you need to pay for a British Waterways licence or an Environmental Agency registration, you can now do this online on the waterscape website.

If you wish to be in charge of or navigate a pleasure boat or vessel for the purpose of carrying passengers for hire, you must obtain the appropriate licence from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Small Passenger Vessel Code Survey Certificate and the boat must be maintained to these standards.

The council’s Licensing Division issue pleasure boat licences for vessels carrying no more than 12 passengers and which are under 24 metres in length, on voyages that are at no time outside categorised waters (i.e. waters not regarded as ‘sea’).

Please note: pleasure boat operators who wish to go outside categorised waters or carry more than 12 passengers on boats which are over 24 metres in length should contact the Maritime and Coastguard Agency for advice.

Downloadable application form

The applicant must:

  • have full knowledge of all statutory rules, regulations and byelaws applicable to navigation on all waters for which the licence is required
  • hold a current Full Boatman’s Licence
  • have insurance to cover the boat, liability to passengers and third parties to a minimum of £2,000,000
  • hold a Current Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) Small Passenger Vessel Code Survey Certificate.

Licences are issued yearly and are not transferable nor can they be back dated. The council may suspend or revoke a licence at any time if it feels that this is necessary in the interests of the public.

Timescale

We aim to deal with grant and renewal applications within 70 days for Boatman’s licences and 84 days for Pleasure Boat licences. Tacit consent applies. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted/renewed if you have not heard from us by the end of the above application period.

Licensing Act 2003

If alcohol or regulated entertainment is provided on board to passengers then a Premises Licence is required under the above Act. Contact the Licensing Division for further details. It is an offence under s.136 of the above Act, to provide alcohol for sale or supply without the provision of a Premises Licence or Temporary Event Notice in place.

The full boatman’s licence enables the holder to take charge of and navigate boats on the water, including the carriage of passengers for hire.

The restricted licence relates only to the taking charge of boats from the ‘shore’.

To obtain a Full or Restricted Boatman’s Licence, the following requirements must be met:

  • have full knowledge of all statutory rules, regulations and byelaws applicable to navigation on all waters for which the licence is required
  • hold a current Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) ML5 Medical Certificate completed by their own General Practitioner
  • the applicant must not suffer from any disease or physical disability which could affect his or her fitness to operate and be in charge of pleasure boats let for hire
  • be over 18 years of age.

Downloadable application forms

Licences are issued yearly and are not transferable nor can they be back dated. The council may suspend or revoke a licence at any time if it feels that this is necessary in the interests of the public.

Timescale

We aim to deal with grant and renewal applications within 70 days for Boatman’s licences and 84 days for Pleasure Boat licences. Tacit consent applies. This means that you will be able to act as though your application is granted/renewed if you have not heard from us by the end of the above application period.

Licensing Act 2003

If alcohol or regulated entertainment is provided on board to passengers then a Premises Licence is required under the above Act. Contact the Licensing Division for further details. It is an offence under s.136 of the above Act, to provide alcohol for sale or supply without the provision of a Premises Licence or Temporary Event Notice in place.

Small bus permit

Who needs to apply?

A small bus permit is necessary so that voluntary groups and other bodies can charge or accept a form of remuneration for providing transport for their own members, or other people they serve without having to comply with the full PSV operator licensing or PCV driver licensing requirements.

Permits issued under Section 19 of the Transport Act 1985 allow certain non-profit making organisations to charge for transport services without licence. But the services must be provided for their own members or for groups of people whom the organisation serves. They may not provide services in this way to members of the general public. Permit vehicles cannot be run as part of an activity that is itself carried on with a view to making a profit, and any charges must only cover the running costs.

If no charge is made at all no permit will be required. However a charge covers more than just the payment of a fare. Any payment in cash or in kind, which gives passengers the right to be carried, is considered to be a charge. This could encompass part of a larger payment even if the payment is not directly related to particular journeys. For example, a subscription to a club which entitled you to free transport in the club’s vehicle.

Permits may be used for:

  • Minibuses that can carry nine to 16 passengers excluding the driver
  • Large buses that can carry 17 or more passengers excluding the driver.

Application Form

You can download an application form [PDF, 48Kb] and send it, complete with payment, to:

Licensing Department
PO Box 42
Church Square House
Scunthorpe
DN15 6XQ

To help with your application for a small bus permit, we also have guidance notes [PDF, 77Kb] available.

Permits for large buses that can carry 17 or more passengers are issued by the Traffic Commissioner, Hillcrest House, 386 Harehills Lane, Leeds, LS9 6NF.

Fees and charges

You can find the fee for this permit by going to our fee register.

For more information, and to get your free copy of the ‘Guide for Operators PSV 385’, please visit the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) website

Contact

licensing@northlincs.gov.uk

Licensing Department
PO Box 42
Church Square House
Scunthorpe
DN15 6XQ