Guidance notes for licensing of non-standard vehicles and their drivers

Types of vehicles requiring to hold special event private hire car licences

Only vehicles adapted to carrying 8 or less passengers can be licensed by the Council as Private Hire Cars under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.  

Special Event Private Hire Car licences are not required where the vehicle is exclusively used in connection with funerals or weddings or if the vehicle is only ever hired out to one customer at a time for a period of more than 24 hours.

The ability to licence a vehicle as Special Event Private Hire Car will be restricted to stretched limousine or other types of “novelty” vehicles. Mass produced saloon cars or wheelchair accessible vehicles will require to be licensed under the normal taxi or private hire car requirements.

Other vehicles capable of carrying more than 8 passengers may require other licences or permissions. Operators of such vehicles should obtain their own legal advice and contact the Traffic Commissioner in relation to any requirements such as PSV licensing.

All operators should also ensure they have appropriate insurance to carry fare paying passengers.

Which Council to obtain a licence from

The important issue is where the driver of the vehicle is when he receives the booking for the vehicle. If he is in Aberdeen then the licence for the vehicle has to be obtained from Aberdeen City Council. If the booking office and driver are based, for example, in Aberdeenshire and the driver is in Aberdeenshire, a licence is required from Aberdeenshire Council. If a booking is received in Aberdeenshire and transmitted to the driver who is based in Aberdeen with the vehicle, then a licence is required from Aberdeen City.

Application for special event private hire car licence

Application forms can be downloaded  from Vehicle Licence Application Form and should be sent by email only to licensing@aberdeencity.gov.uk together with copies of the required documentation. The application fee must be paid online via ACC Payment Portal

 It is important that the application is in the name of the business entity that conducts the hiring business.

Once we receive the application, an appointment will be made at the Taxi Inspection Centre, 38 Powis Terrace, Kittybrewster, Aberdeen for the vehicle to be inspected.

Someone who already holds a special events private hire car driver’s licence or an applicant for such a licence should accompany the vehicle.

Procedure after initial inspection

If the vehicle passes the inspection, details will be passed to the Licensing Team who can then progress the application. This does not mean that the vehicle is licensed at this point.

The Licensing Team may grant the application or refer it to a meeting of the Licensing Committee to which the applicant would be invited.

Information and documents to submitted with the application

The applicant must provide copies of full documentation relating to the conversion of the vehicle, its importation and registration. SVA certificate must be submitted, along with the vehicles log book, ownership certificate, current insurance documentation and current MOT Certificate. 

Type of vehicle and modifier

The Council does not insist that the vehicle has been modified under an approved modifier scheme, such as the QVM and CMC schemes. The vehicle’s suitability as regards it design, type and construction will be judged on its own merits.

Age of vehicle

The maximum age of vehicles at the date they are first licensed for use as private hire cars is usually 5 years from first registration. This will not be a requirement for Special Event Private Hire Cars. As with all private hire cars, there would not be a maximum age for a vehicle once licensed, but the vehicle must remain in good condition and pass inspections.

Vehicle condition and requirements on presentation for inspection

• The vehicle must be clean, there should be no rust on the bodywork, and paint and chrome must be in good condition.
• Left hand drive vehicles are permitted provided sufficient mirrors are fitted.
• All lights must comply with and be adjusted to meet UK requirements.
• Vehicles must be designed to carry not more than eight passengers plus the driver.
• For a Limousine the stretch of the vehicle must not exceed 140 inches from the original manufacturer’s chassis.
• Vehicles must be fitted with seat belts of an acceptable type for all forward and rear facing passengers and for the driver. Side facing seats will not require seatbelts, but if these are fitted, they must be of an acceptable type. All seatbelts must be securely fitted and in good condition.
• Vehicles must be fitted with the correct make and type of tyre.
• The Council will certify the vehicle for the carriage of an appropriate number of passengers and no passengers over that number should be carried. In addition, no more that eight passengers should be carried.
• The fitting of a taximeter in the vehicle is prohibited.

All applications will be considered on their own merits.

Procedure following grant of a licence

The licence holder will be invited to attend the Aberdeen City Taxi Inspection Centre at Kittybrewster, Aberdeen to collect his Licence ID plate. The licence lasts for one year. The licence will be subject to conditions, a copy of which can be down loaded from SEPHC Licence Conditions

Subsequent tests

Vehicles are thereafter subject to a further test every six months. Vehicles can be required to attend for additional tests or be subject to spot checks in the usual way. Vehicles cannot be modified or adapted without first obtaining the Council’s approval.

Substitution of vehicle

If a licence holder wished to substitute a new vehicle on to the licence, an application for substitution requires to be made and the new vehicle will be subject to the same inspection procedures set out above.

Status of the licensed vehicle

As a private hire car is always a private hire car, once it is licensed, – (a) the vehicle must at all times only be driven by a licensed Aberdeen City Taxi Driver, Private Hire Car Driver, or Special Events Private Hire Car Driver, even if it is being used in connection with a wedding or funeral and (b) Rear Plates must be permanently fitted to the vehicle. These cannot be removed at any time, even if the vehicle is used for weddings or funerals.

Special event private hire car driver licence

• In addition to Aberdeen City Special Event Private Hire Drivers, only Aberdeen City Licensed Taxi and Private Hire Car Drivers are permitted to drive Special Event Private Hire Cars.
• An application form for a Special Events Private Hire Car Driver Licence can be down loaded from Driver Application Form and should be sent by email only to licensing@aberdeencity.gov.uk together with copies of the required documentation. The application fee must be paid online via ACC Payment Portal
• The applicant for a Special Event Private Hire Car Driver licence will not require to  pass the street knowledge test required by taxi and private hire car drivers. A copy of the application will be sent to Police Scotland. The Licensing Team can grant the application under delegated powers, or the matter can be referred to the Council’s Licensing Committee.

Procedure following grant of a licence

The licence certificate will be sent to the applicant together with details of how to obtain the required Driver Photo ID badge.

Conditions

The licence will be subject to conditions, a copy of which can be downloaded from SEPHC Driver Conditions These include the driver being responsible for ensuring that (a) whilst the vehicle is in motion, passengers remain seated, (b) passengers do not lean out of the windows of the vehicle or to stand out of sun roofs and (c) passengers do not act in an inappropriate manner or distract other road users.