Council poised to ditch controversial taxi age rule after drivers overwhelmingly back reform
- Perry Richardson
- May 13
- 2 min read
West Suffolk taxi and private hire vehicle drivers have backed proposals to change part of the council’s licensing emissions policy, after more than 84% of consultation respondents supported the move.
The council’s Cabinet will consider the recommendations on Tuesday, with officers proposing that the current rule requiring all new licensed taxis and private hire vehicles to be less than five years old is replaced by a recognised emissions standard.
Under the proposed policy, new vehicles entering the West Suffolk licensed fleet would need to meet at least Euro 6 emissions standards, which limit pollutants including nitrogen dioxide and particulates. The policy would also allow vehicles meeting the newer Euro 7 standard.
The existing five-year requirement has been in place since 2022 and was designed to prevent higher-polluting vehicles joining the fleet. Since then, Department for Transport guidance has advised licensing authorities to use emissions performance rather than vehicle age as the main test.
West Suffolk Council is set to consider replacing its five-year vehicle age rule with an emissions-based standard for new taxi and private hire vehicle licences.
Around 90% of West Suffolk’s taxi and private hire fleet already meets Euro 6 standards. That equates to about 520 vehicles that would comply if the new requirement is introduced from 1 July, as recommended.
The remaining 10%, around 58 vehicles, would not have to be replaced under the immediate proposal because the change would apply only to new vehicles joining the fleet.
West Suffolk Council has already removed the upper age limit for taxis and private hire vehicles, instead managing emissions through vehicle testing in line with DfT guidance.
The consultation also asked drivers about applying the Euro 6 standard at annual vehicle licence renewal. Although around two-thirds of respondents supported introducing that either immediately or in 2027, the council is not proposing a start date because of the likely cost impact on non-compliant vehicles.
Further engagement with the taxi and private hire trade is expected before any decision is made on applying Euro 6 requirements to licence renewals.
Cllr Gerald Kelly, Cabinet Member for Environment and Regulatory, said: “Taxis and private hire drivers play an important role in supporting the West Suffolk economy and the everyday needs of residents in our communities. At the same time, it is vital that we continue to tackle air pollution and the impact that it can have on residents living in our area.
“The feedback shows that the vast majority of drivers in our fleet who responded are in favour changing to an emissions standard for new vehicles and I will be recommending this change to my Cabinet colleagues next week.”
