Meter shake-up for Windsor licensed taxis as end-of-year compliance deadline set
- Perry Richardson
- 10 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Hackney carriage drivers licensed by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) face a deadline of 31 December 2026 to ensure their taximeters comply with current national standards, under a proposal going before councillors next week.
A report to the Licensing Panel on 9 February recommends making it mandatory for all taximeters used in RBWM licensed hackney carriages to comply with the Measuring Instruments Regulations 2016, replacing older devices that are still legal but increasingly obsolete.
Taximeters are used to calculate fares in hackney carriages and must meet detailed technical requirements covering design, operating conditions, accuracy, fare calculation and anti-fraud measures. While only compliant meters have been permitted on the market since 2016, existing non-compliant units were allowed to remain in service.
Council officers say it was assumed these older meters would naturally be phased out as they required replacement. However, RBWM’s contracted taximeter engineer has reported that a number of non-compliant meters remain in use and are becoming harder to maintain, despite still being lawful.
Licensing Panel to consider requirement for all meters to meet Measuring Instruments Regulations as older equipment remains in use
The report states that conformity with the regulations is indicated by UK marking and an M marking on the device. Officers argue that requiring full compliance would give both drivers and passengers greater confidence in the accuracy and reliability of fares.
Under the recommended option, drivers would be given until the end of 2026 to switch to compliant equipment, allowing time to plan and spread costs. Alternative options include setting a different deadline, surveying the fleet to assess the scale of non-compliance, or taking no action and allowing older meters to remain indefinitely.
RBWM currently licenses 108 hackney carriages. While the exact number of non-compliant taximeters is unknown, officers believe it represents only a small proportion of the fleet. The cost of a new taximeter is estimated at between £250 and £450, with second-hand units available at lower prices.
If approved, the requirement would be written into the RBWM Hackney Carriage Driver and Vehicle Policy and Conditions. Vehicles found using non-compliant meters after the deadline could have their licences suspended, with the possibility of revocation if the issue is not resolved.
Informal discussions with hackney carriage driver representatives indicated support for moving to fully compliant taximeters, although no wider consultation has yet taken place.
