Taxi/private hire car operator's licence

In line with the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (as amended) the following vehicle criteria are required to be met:

• Vehicles should be under seven years old when they are first registered as a licensed vehicle
• The upper age limit for any licensed saloon-type vehicle (that is, non purpose built vehicles) is 12 years but purpose built vehicles licensed as taxis have no upper age limit. Vehicles over five years old will be subject to a six-monthly inspection except purpose built vehicles which will require a six-monthly inspection once they reach seven years old
• The engine output shall be any number of KW
• The vehicle should have four or five doors. If the vehicle is an estate or hatchback, it should have two passenger windows in the back
• The vehicle should be designed for carrying at least four (and no more than eight) adult passengers, not including the driver
• The back seat of the vehicle must be at least 48 inches wide, as measured by the Licensing Authority, for a vehicle designed as being capable of carrying only four adult passengers, not including the driver. If the vehicle is designed for carrying between four and eight adult passengers, not including the driver, each seat must be at least 16 inches wide. Taxis only – a metropolitan type of vehicle (black cab) is a vehicle designed and made to be used as a taxi. In this type of vehicle, the main passenger compartment at the back of the driver can seat at least four passengers and is separated from the driver by a partition which would include a sliding panel
• The vehicle should not be left-hand drive
• The vehicle may be fitted with a specially adapted front seat for disabled passengers. This type of seat must not be fitted unless approved by the Local Authority
• Any changes to the colour of the vehicle, including full liveried advertising (for taxis only), should be recorded on the V5 document and a copy provided to the Licensing and Registration Services
• The vehicle must keep the original manufacturer’s equipment (for example, seats must not be changed)
• The vehicle should have enough space for luggage for the number of people being carried