North Yorkshire Council set to introduce new single taxi licence fee across the county

Plans have been backed to bring together hackney carriage and private hire licensing fees ahead of the launch of a new council covering the whole of North Yorkshire in April.

Currently, the county’s existing seven borough and district councils set their own hackney carriage and private hire licensing fees, however, plans have been supported for a single set of fees that remain consistent across North Yorkshire.

Cllr Derek Bastiman, North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for open to business, said: “When someone travels in a hackney carriage or private hire vehicle, it is imperative that they can do so safe in the knowledge that a licence has been issued appropriately with the necessary due diligence and background checks.

“The proposed licence fees ensure we can provide the administration of vehicle and operators’ licences, carry out essential inspections of vehicles so that passengers can continue to travel safely and maintain hackney carriage standards, as well as the enforcement of the licences, without creating an additional cost to the taxpayer.

“With the launch of a single local licensing authority for North Yorkshire, the proposed fees also ensure hackney carriage and private hire licence holders and taxi operators across the county are treated equally, and will hopefully encourage them to continue to invest in and maintain high-quality and safe vehicles.”

Existing fees and a nationally recognised tool have been used to determine the proposed licence rate.

The proposed fee for a 12-month hackney carriage licence is £350 or £280 for a renewal, while a private hire vehicle is £330 or £265 for a renewal. Drivers will still be able to apply for a three-year licence for a hackney carriage, a private hire vehicle or both categories, which provides a discount.

These fees would only apply when applying for a new licence or renewing an existing licence after April 1, when the new council launches. Drivers with an existing licence that is still valid will not need to renew until the expiry date shown.

The proposed fees are subject to a statutory 28-day notice period, with residents encourage to share their views by emailing [email protected].

The harmonisation of the hackney carriage and private hire licensing fees follows the county council’s decision to adopt a single hackney carriage and private hire taxi licensing policy for the whole of North Yorkshire.

The draft policy, which was subject to a 12-week public consultation, seeks to ensure that the public continues to be provided with safe and accessible hackney carriage and private hire vehicles, as well as a coherent regulatory framework for the trade across the county. The outcome of the consultation will be presented to the county council’s executive in February.