Cambridge City Council propose extending taxi age limits due to rising cost of taxis

Cambridge City Council is asking the public and the licensed taxi trade for views on proposals to change certain requirements relating to its taxi licensing policy.

The council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy has a minimum and maximum age requirement for all licensed vehicles.

In 2018, as part of its Air Quality Action Plan, the council reviewed the maximum age requirements for zero-emission and ultra-low emission taxis to encourage the uptake of these vehicles by the taxi trade.

Since then, the uptake of these vehicles as taxis in Cambridge has been good. However due to a combination of economic factors over recent years, vehicles suitable to be used as taxis have become more difficult to source and less affordable for taxi drivers.

Following representations to the council by the taxi trade in Cambridge about helping with its transition to electric vehicles, the council has now opened a consultation on proposals to amend the council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy by:

• Increasing the maximum age limit for licensed and newly-licensed diesel, petrol and standard hybrid vehicles from less than nine years to less than 11 years

• Removing the stipulation that new vehicle licences will not be granted unless a vehicle is under four years old.

Anyone interested can take part in the consultation by visiting https://cambridge.citizenlab.co/. The consultation is open until 27 August.

Cllr Russ McPherson, Chair of Licensing Committee, said: “Taxi drivers play a very important role in the day-to-day life of a city like Cambridge and we remain committed to helping the taxi trade flourish here.

“The council is constantly in dialogue with our taxi drivers and has listened to their concerns about having a wider choice of vehicles that can be licensed. We need to balance the concerns of the taxi trade with those of their customers and of the city as a whole, including in relation to improving the city’s air quality and working towards a net zero Cambridge.

“That’s why we are holding this consultation – and I would encourage as many people as possible to take part and have their say on these proposals.”

Following the end of the consultation period, the feedback will be collated and a report presented to the council’s Licensing Committee.