The General Licensing Committee of Torfaen Council is scheduled to meet on Thursday, 25 September 2025, to discuss hackney carriage and private hire vehicle licensing, including age limits and signage. The committee will also be asked to agree to exclude the press and public from the meeting for some items, due to the discussion of information about individuals and the council's financial affairs.

Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Policy

The committee is scheduled to discuss the Review of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Age Limits and Signage Requirements. The report in the Public reports pack notes that Torfaen County Borough Council's policy on hackney carriages and private hire vehicles aims to ensure vehicles are safe and suitable for public use.

The council's current policy includes:

• Age limits for new and existing vehicles.
• Appearance requirements to ensure vehicles are easily identifiable, distinguishing between hackney carriages and private hire vehicles.

The current age limit restrictions for licensed vehicles are:

1) New vehicle licences will only be granted on vehicles that are less than 5 years old. 2) Transfer of vehicle licences. A current vehicle licence (including the vehicle to which it relates) may be transferred to another person on written authority of the existing licence holder. If the vehicle is older than 8 years, the licence will not be transferred. 3) Replacement vehicles. An existing vehicle licence holder may change the vehicle on that licence if the replacement vehicle is less than 5 years old, or is less than 8 years old if currently licensed by Torfaen County Borough Council. 4) Vehicles previously licensed by Torfaen County Borough Council that have been undergoing repair, e.g. following an accident, and which have not been used for any other purpose whilst unlicensed, may be replaced on the original vehicle licence by the original licence holder. 5) Vehicles older than 8 years may be re-licensed, on merit, at the discretion of the licensing officer, i.e. the vehicle is in very good condition and the interior and exterior condition of the vehicle is of a high standard. 6) Vehicles older than 10 years will not be re-licensed other than in exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the licensing officer, e.g. if they are specialist, fitted with a mechanical tail lift, stretched limousines and historic vehicles. The vehicle must be in very good condition, the interior and exterior condition of the vehicle must be of a high standard.

The report notes that requests have been made by licence holders to amend vehicle age limits and signage requirements. These requests were initially reviewed at the General Licensing Committee meeting on 17 July 2025, where it was agreed that proposed changes to the policy would be considered at a future meeting.

The committee will now be asked to agree on proposals to be put forward for consultation.

Proposed Changes

The report pack includes a table in Appendix 3 which shows a review of the age limits of licensed vehicles and private hire operator signage requirements of neighbouring authorities.

Taking into account the requests to amend age limits, the report proposes revisions to the policy, as detailed in Appendix 4 of the report. The proposals include removing the restriction on the maximum age of a vehicle at which a licence can be transferred. The report argues that if a vehicle is in good condition and suitable for licensing, there is no reason to prevent the transfer of a licence from one proprietor to another, assuming the new proprietor is suitable to hold the licence. It is also proposed that the upper age limit is removed, allowing a licence to be renewed by an officer if the vehicle is in very good condition with a high standard interior and exterior. Under these proposals, all vehicles over 8 years old would need to be inspected by an officer before any application to renew a licence is granted.

Signage

Currently, private hire vehicles must display the name of the operator on both sides of the vehicle in letters not less than 15 cm tall, along with the operator's registered telephone number. Signs must be fixed permanently, using adhesive, and window signs alone are not acceptable.

As only one request has been received to remove the private hire operator signage, the report suggests that the views of all licence holders are sought before finalising any proposed changes to vehicle identification requirements.

Implications

The report notes that any changes to the policy would require full public consultation and consideration of any comments received before a final decision is made.

According to the report, there are no immediate financial implications for the council as a result of the decision, aside from the costs of carrying out consultation exercises, which may be incorporated into future fee reviews. However, changes to the age limits for licensed vehicles following consultation may have financial implications for the licensed trade. Relaxing vehicle signage requirements could allow private hire vehicles to be operated by multiple private hire operators, potentially generating more income for drivers.

The report also identifies risks associated with the proposals, including potential judicial challenges if requests from licence holders are not properly considered. Failure to respond to the requests could also lead to licence holders seeking employment or licences from other authorities, potentially reducing the number of drivers and vehicles available for hire in Torfaen. The report notes that any relaxation of the existing age limits may result in a lowering of standards that may have public safety implications. Additionally, removing the operator signage requirement for private hire vehicles may mean that vehicles are not as clearly identifiable, which may also compromise public safety.

Minutes from Previous Meetings

The committee will also be asked to note the minutes of previous meetings, including:

• Licensing Committee meeting held on 17 July 2025.
• Licensing Hearings.

Exclusion of Press and Public

The agenda includes a motion to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of some items. The reason cited is that the agenda contains information about particular individuals and information relating to the financial and business affairs of particular persons, including the council. The report claims that in all the circumstances, the public interest in maintaining the exemptions outweighs the public interest in disclosing the information, as defined in paragraphs 12 and 14 of part 4 of Schedule 12a of the Local Government Act 1972¹.