Drivers say taxi rule change will 'save jobs'

Taxi drivers in Derby have said changing a controversial vehicle age-limit rule will "save a lot of people losing jobs".

The rule, which required private hire taxi vehicles to be five years old or newer when first licensed, was revised during a meeting on Thursday.

The policy, introduced nearly a year ago, had been opposed by Derby taxi drivers, who staged protests across the city, and the council has now revised the rule by increasing the age limit from five to nine years.

Lee Roach, a taxi driver and chair of the Derby Area Taxi Association, said: "It has saved a lot of people from losing jobs. It's thousands of pounds of savings on vehicles."

"The under-five-year age limit rule was going to put people out of work", he added.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) said the rule does not affect vehicles currently licensed by Derby City Council, but applies to any new taxi vehicle that needs to be registered.

This could apply to new taxi drivers entering the trade or to existing workers if they need to change their car.

The city taxi trade feared the age limit could put drivers "out of work" by requiring them to spend thousands of pounds to buy a car that is less than five years old.

Council bosses said the rule was implemented "to ensure vehicles are in good condition and more likely to meet current safety and emissions standards".

In September, it was reported that almost 2,000 taxi drivers living and working in Derby are actually licensed with Wolverhampton City Council, not Derby City Council.

The city council is unable to conduct safety inspections or checks on taxi vehicles that are licensed by other councils.

Wolverhampton City Council said it does carry out checks across the country every weekend to ensure its licensed vehicles are maintaining the highest road standards, and it "does not gain financially".

Association member and driver Michael Rowlands said he hopes the change will stop drivers from being licensed elsewhere.

"It brings affordability back to the trade and just makes perfect sense. Hopefully, it will encourage people to be licensed locally," he said.

"I think the council has listened, and I think some of the councillors do understand the trade."

Darren Fitchett, vice chair of the association, added: "I strongly feel the five-year rule is a totally unacceptable requirement.

"Our vehicles are tested twice yearly after five years to above MOT standards, which already offers a great deal of safety regardless of what the registration plate shows."

Association member and driver Michael Rowlands said he hoped the change would stop drivers from being licensed elsewhere.

"It brings affordability back to the trade and just makes perfect sense. Hopefully, it will encourage people to be licensed locally," he said.

"I think the council has listened, and I think some of the councillors do understand the trade."

A majority of councillors voted to adjust the age limit to nine years.

City councillor Martin Repton said: "At the present time, taxi drivers can go outside this authority, and they can get a badge to work in this city with cars older than 10 years.

"We want our taxi drivers registered in the city, and we want a fair and reasonable system.

"We have yearly checks on every vehicle. I think if we move to an age limit of seven, eight or nine years, that is a reasonable compromise."

However, fellow councillor Jamie Mulhall said relaxing the five-year age limit would put passenger safety "at risk".

His claim followed a council report which said a nine-year-old vehicle was "the point at which reliability begins to decline more sharply".

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