Taxi drivers are appealing for help as a shortage of affordable cabs means many of them will be unable to meet new vehicle standards being proposed in York.
City of York Council is proposing to adopt new standards that all hackney carriages must be painted black, meet the highest emissions standards and follow window-tinting rules. The council is also planning to increase the number of wheelchair-accessible taxis available in the city.
Affordable
But as the York Press reports, drivers say there are very few vehicles they can afford, citing just four second-hand, wheelchair-adapted black cabs available for less than £20,000 which would meet the new standards being proposed.
York Taxi Association Secretary Alan Brewer told the council’s Licensing and Regulatory Committee that because of the shortage of affordable vehicles, one driver had to travel to Portsmouth to buy one.
He also raised concerns that the proposed changes would mean 15 per cent of wheelchair-accessible vehicles in the area may have to be replaced after three years.
He told the committee last month: “Disabled groups are crying out for more wheelchair-accessible vehicles, but one driver is already doubtful that he will renew his licence, and another had to travel to Portsmouth to buy one.
“As of this morning, there are 14 used wheelchair accessible vehicles nationally advertised on eBay costing between £10,000 and £20,000 that would meet colour and emissions standards.”
In a bid to address drivers’ concerns, York Council Taxi Licensing Manager David Cowley told the committee that wheelchair-accessible vehicles which meet Euro VI emissions standards would be exempt from having to be replaced after 10 years.
Proposals
As well as increasing the number of accessible taxis, the proposed changes include requiring all hackney carriages to be painted black to distinguish them from private-hire vehicles, which can be any colour other than black.
As part of the changes, hackney carriages must also display the council’s crest and the driver’s licensing details.
The proposals also require large private hire operators with 99 vehicles or more to have at least one adapted vehicle operational at all times.
The council also wants to remove or reduce tinted windows from taxis to help passengers feel safe.
But taxi driver Daniel Smith told the committee that rules on window tinting further reduced the number of suitable vehicles that were available.
He said: “Of those, only four don’t have tinted back windows, we can’t guarantee that light transmission is 30 per cent or more.
“If you have to go down to Portsmouth to buy a vehicle you can’t take a light transmission gun with you, it can cost up to £2,500 to change rear windows, that’s too much.”
Decision
The proposals were to be considered by the council on November 21, but the meeting was cancelled and has been provisionally rescheduled for December 9.
If the proposals are approved, licences will not be renewed for vehicles which do not meet the new standards from November, 2027.
However, councillors recommended pushing the date for wheelchair-accessible vehicles back by a further three years.
The changes being proposed by the council rightly focus on accessibility and safety and many drivers will be in favour of the aims of the plans. But they are understandably concerned about the huge cost involved in replacing vehicles that don’t meet the new standards.
The council should work with taxi drivers to make sure they aren’t forced off the road by a shortage of affordable cabs – a situation that doesn’t benefit anyone.
