Drivers warn private hire rules will damage trade

Private hire vehicle operators have said changes to council regulations could damage their businesses.

New rules have come into force in Reading, Berkshire, with a reduction in the maximum age of licensed vehicles from 12 to 10 years, being phased in over the next couple of years.

Minicab firms in the town said the measures, that will also push some operators to switch to electric, have already led to some owners registering their vehicles with other councils with fewer restrictions.

Reading Borough Council said it wants to work with drivers, but passengers must come first.

One business that said it is being affected is Crown Wheelchair Travel that specialises in taking pupils with disabilities to school.

Often the vehicles only operate for two to three hours each morning and afternoon.

Nazneen Ali, whose family own the business, said that meant it generates less income than the private hire cars that work longer hours, but there is less wear and tear on their vehicles.

As the upper age limit for licensed vehicles falls, that will mean dozens of the specially adapted minibuses being retired early.

She said: "Obviously we've had a lot of investment put in this, but unfortunately it has a shorter life cycle now.

"Replacing one of these vehicles is approximately £45,000.

"These are purpose built vehicles for mobility and it's a real shame that these are being scrapped by the council."

Manzoor Hussain drives a hybrid executive car and said his business depended on serving a luxury market.

He said that under the new rules, drivers who do not invoice clients for their journeys may be required to display operator branding on their vehicles.

He said that not only would that damage the paintwork, lowering its resale value, but it would not tie in with what his business customers - often travelling from the offices of Reading's global tech firms to Heathrow - expected of a luxury limo service.

"We work hard to earn a good living and [the council] are forever penalising us," he said.

Hussain claimed: "They've lost 300 drivers to other boroughs who are still working in Reading, whereas the people who are loyal to Reading - they're being punished."

The borough council said it was looking at ways to address drivers working in the town while licensed by other authorities.

In the past week, the man responsible for overseeing the new regulations, was at the headquarters of Reading Buses at an event unveiling a new fleet of electric double deckers, which were bought with government help.

Minicab drivers have complained that while there has been public funding to move the council owned bus company from diesel to gas and electric low-carbon vehicles, they have received no such assistance.

Cllr John Ennis said: "We want to be understanding and discuss the way forward, to make sure that they can get their vehicles, good road-worthy vehicles, which do not pollute the atmosphere."

He added: "We'll work with them, but ultimately they'll have to do a lot of that themselves.

"We want to support them and we want to be understanding, but they've got to work with us as well."

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