Agenda item

To consider the report of the Head of Service - Environment and Waste.

The Chair introduced the Members of the Licensing Sub-Committee and the Officers.

The Legal Officer (Litigation and Debt Recovery) set out the procedure for the hearing, advising on the Council’s policy and the provisions of Section 37 of the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and Section 47 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976.

The Licensing Officer presented the report for the application to renew a licence in relation to a Hackney Carriage Peugeot Horizon, a wheelchair accessible vehicle (‘WAV’), which was over nine years old. The vehicle was first registered on 19 September 2016.

The Applicant submitted a current MOT dated 24 February 2026, which recorded a mileage of 173,719 miles. The vehicle had been inspected by a council officer and was found to be in reasonable condition for the age. The vehicle had been licenced with Exeter City Council since 11 March 2019 and was transferred to the Applicant on 24 September 2021.

The Licensing Officer confirmed that 45% of the current Hackney Carriage Fleet in Exeter were WAVs. 

The Applicant spoke in support of the application, making the following comments:

• he had been driving taxis since 2015;
• previous MOT failures had been due to wear and tear;
• the vehicle was well looked after and well maintained;
• the engine had been replaced in November 2025;
• it was washed and cleaned regularly; and
• passengers often commented on how smooth their journey had been.

In response to questions from Members and Officers, the Applicant made the following comments:

• the vehicle was typically serviced two or three times a year, but it was dependent on the amount of work;
• he checked the coolant, oil level, tyres, wheelchair accessible ramp, and wash the car weekly;
• the MOT mileage did not reflect the mileage of the new engine as it was measured using digital mileage that had not been reset by the MOT mechanic;
• he was the sole driver of the vehicle;
• he primarily used the St David’s taxi rank, but also used the taxi rank on Fore Street at the weekends;
• he estimated that he only took one or two customers in a wheelchair each year;
• advisories following an MOT were repaired immediately;
• work had been done on the vehicle before it was purchased;
• there was no spare wheel as it was not possible to store in the vehicle due to the wheelchair ramp; and
• he would like to replace the car but did not currently have plans to.

The Licensing Officer informed Members that vehicles with outstanding advisories could not have their vehicle licence renewed as per the Exeter City Council Taxi Policy.

The Licensing Officer advised that the issue with the wrap highlighted in the vehicle inspection was not visible to the public.

In summing up the Applicant advised Members that he loved his car and looked after it, and he had all 5-star reviews.

RESOLVED that the application for the renewal of a licence relating to a Hackney Carriage over 8 years old be approved for 12 months, subject to conditions (1) that the vehicle will have an MOT every six months and evidence that all advisories have been completed is provided to the Council’s Licensing Department and (2) the Council’s Licensing Department are notified every time the vehicle is serviced and provided with documentary evidence showing the work carried out.