Taxis (Hackney Carriages) and Private Hire Executive private hire vehicles
Executive private hire vehicles are licensed in accordance with the provisions of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. Executive private hire vehicles must not have the appearance of a hackney carriage vehicle (commonly known as taxis).
When considering whether to licence a vehicle as an executive private hire vehicle, you need to have regards to the nature of work that is to be undertaken as executive private hire vehicles cannot be used to ply for hire, stand on any taxi rank, or be hailed in the street. In addition, all bookings for the vehicle must be received by a licensed private hire operator. When considering whether a vehicle is an executive private hire vehicle, we have regard to the Department for Transport guidance.
Detailed information on the requirements for an executive private hire vehicle can be found in Part 3d of the full Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2023-2027.
Anyone wishing to licence a vehicle as an executive private hire vehicle will need to be able to demonstrate, via the application form, that they intend to work for a private hire operator licensed by Shropshire Council. You may also wish to apply to become a licensed private hire operator. If you require information on how to apply to become a licensed private hire operator, please visit our Private hire operator webpage.
Business model for executive private hire vehicles
Executive private hire vehicles must only be used for executive service, which is defined as the provision of a vehicle or vehicles that is/are exclusively used for executive private hire work and not for ‘normal’ or general-purpose private hire use.
The type of work that is considered ‘executive service’ includes, but is not restricted to:
- Exclusive business to business contracts, i.e. to transport employees and clients on business related journeys under a written contract to a company or person.
- Bookings for certain clients (for example politicians and celebrities) who, for security or personal safety reasons, would not want the vehicle to be identifiable as a private hire vehicle.
- Bookings for certain clients who want to hire an executive vehicle at a premium rate, where the applicant can demonstrate that the vehicle is used solely for the purposes of this type of hire.
All bookings taken in respect of clients who require an executive private hire vehicle must be paid for on account. In other words, no payment can be made to the driver of the vehicle at time of hiring. Applicants must be able to demonstrate the vehicle will be used for executive service by:
- Providing written confirmation from their private hire operator stating that the vehicle will only undertake executive service.
- Providing written confirmation that the vehicle will be used solely for executive service and not for ‘normal’ or general private hire use.
What type of vehicle can be considered for an executive private hire vehicle licence?
We do not provide a list of specific vehicles that are considered appropriate to be licensed as executive private hire vehicles. However, any vehicle being plated as an executive vehicle must be classed as a large family vehicle, be of saloon, estate, hatchback or people carrier type.
Relevant considerations as to whether a vehicle meets an executive standard include, but are not limited to, cost, reputation, specification, appearance, perception, superior comfort levels and seating specification, e.g., whether the vehicle offers additional space per passenger compared to standard vehicles.
In addition, an executive private hire vehicle must comply with the following requirements:
- Be in immaculate condition, in a uniform colour, with no visible defects and free from dents, scratches or rust to the external bodywork or internal trim and seating
- Have high level interior trim and leather seating
- Be large enough to carry at least 3 adult passengers and their luggage
- Have air conditioning or climate control
- Have alloy wheels
- Be maintained to a very high standard
Does my vehicle need to be wheelchair accessible?
No. However, where the vehicle is wheelchair accessible, it must be capable of transporting the user of a “reference wheelchair”. Specifications for a “reference wheelchair” can be found at Appendix J of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2023-2027.
What are the emissions/age requirements for an executive private hire vehicle?
Where the vehicle is not wheelchair accessible, it must comply with the following:
New applications
- Fuel
- Petrol
- Period
- 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Euro 5 and where the vehicle is less than 10 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Diesel
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 August 2025
- European emission / age standard
- Euro 6/Euro 6d and where date of first registration is on or after 1 September 2016
- Fuel
- Diesel
- Period
- 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Euro 6 / Euro 6d and where the vehicle is less than 6 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Full electric
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Any age
- Fuel
- Hybrid petrol
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Less than 10 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Hybrid diesel
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Less than 8 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- LPG
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Less than 10 years old from date of first registration
Renewal applications
- Fuel
- Petrol
- Period
- 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Euro 5 and where the vehicle is less than 12 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Diesel
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025
- European emission / age standard
- Euro 5 / Euro 6 / Euro 6d and where the vehicle is less than 10 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Diesel
- Period
- 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Euro 6 / Euro 6d and where the vehicle is less than 10 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Full electric
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Any age
- Fuel
- Hybrid petrol
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Less than 12 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Hybrid diesel
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Less than 10 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- LPG
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Less than 12 years old from date of first registration
The following emissions/age charts are applicable to wheelchair accessible vehicles only.
New applications
- Fuel
- Petrol
- Period
- 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028
- European Emission / Age Standard
- Euro 5 and where the vehicle is less than 12 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Diesel
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 August 2025
- European Emission / Age Standard
- Euro 6/Euro 6d and where date of first registration is on or after 1 September 2016
- Fuel
- Diesel
- Period
- 1 September 2025 to 31 March 2028
- European Emission / Age Standard
- Euro 6 / Euro 6d and where the vehicle is less than 6 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Full electric
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European Emission / Age Standard
- Any age
- Fuel
- Hybrid petrol
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European Emission / Age Standard
- Less than 12 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Hybrid diesel
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European Emission / Age Standard
- Less than 10 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- LPG
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European Emission / Age Standard
- Less than 12 years old from date of first registration
Renewal applications
- Fuel
- Petrol
- Period
- 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Euro 5 and where the vehicle is less than 15 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Diesel
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2025
- European emission / age standard
- Euro 5 / Euro 6 / Euro 6d and where the vehicle is less than 12 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Diesel
- Period
- 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Euro 6 / Euro 6d and where the vehicle is less than 12 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Full electric
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Any age
- Fuel
- Hybrid petrol
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Less than 15 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- Hybrid diesel
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Less than 12 years old from date of first registration
- Fuel
- LPG
- Period
- 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2028
- European emission / age standard
- Less than 15 years old from date of first registration
What are the safety standards for licensing an executive private hire vehicle?
Vehicles must meet the NCAP five star safety standards as defined by the European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP). In this respect, the Overall Rating must be used. Where the Overall Rating is not available, the Adult Rating is the relevant standard. You can find the European NCAP standards for your vehicle on the Euro NCAP website.
The NCAP requirements do not apply to executive private hire vehicles that have been specifically constructed or converted for disability access and any M1 vehicle that has been adapted to be a private hire vehicle (and has been accepted by an authorised officer of the council to be licensed only as a private hire vehicle) where:
- The vehicle has come off the production line as a purpose-built wheelchair accessible vehicle and there is a Vehicle Certification Agency (VCA) certificate which demonstrates that the vehicle has been constructed to an acceptable safety standard, providing there have been no changes to the layout of the vehicle since the VCA was issued.
- The vehicle is modified after production, but before first registration. There may be an Individual Approval Certificate (IAC) available which will demonstrate that the adaptations have been tested by DVSA (VOSA) and are to an acceptable safety standard, providing there have been no changes to the conversion since the IAC was issued. This may be referred to as a Statutory Individual Vehicle Approval.
- Vehicles are converted for disability access after first registration and have been submitted for a Basic Voluntary IVA (Individual Vehicle Approval). This is the route that vehicles are required to take where there is no VCA certificate or IAC available. Vehicles must be presented to the DVSA for a Basic Voluntary IVA inspection Class P – Personal Import. If the vehicle passes the inspection, it will receive a Certificate of Compliance (IVA 6). The Voluntary IVA checks the whole of the vehicle, not only the parts that have been converted and is similar to a very strict MOT test.
If you are considering applying to licence a vehicle that does not meet the above safety requirements, please contact the Licensing Team for further advice.
Will I need to provide a new MOT?
As part of the application process, an MOT certificate must be provided. MOT certificates will only be accepted by the Council within 10 working days of the date of issue from the MOT testing centre, therefore, a new MOT must be completed prior to the application being submitted to us.
Once a licence has been granted, vehicles are subject to additional MOTs throughout the licence period as follows:
- Vehicles, up to 9 years from date of first registration, must be submitted for an MOT inspection at 6-monthly intervals.
- Once a vehicle reaches the age of 9 years, in addition to the MOT certificate submitted with an application, it must have two other MOT tests per year; tests being spaced evenly throughout the year at four monthly intervals.
What are the conditions attached to an executive private hire vehicle licence?
All proprietors of an executive private hire vehicle licence are required to comply with the executive private hire vehicle licence conditions of licence which can be found at Appendix E of the full Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2023-2027.
How do I apply for a licence?
Please visit our Executive private hire vehicle licence – new application webpage for information about the application process and how to submit a new application for executive private hire vehicle licence.
Please visit our Executive private hire vehicle licence – renewal application webpage for information about the application process and how to submit a renewal application for executive private hire vehicle licence.