Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licences
The authority is required to issue licences and set conditions on hackney carriages and private hire vehicles to ensure the vehicles used are safe and comfortable and that the drivers are fit and proper persons, medically fit, knowledgeable and free from relevant convictions.
Hackney carriages can be hailed at the roadside. They have a ‘Taxi’ or ‘Tacsi’ roof sign, a licence plate displayed on the rear of the vehicle and door stickers on either side. The plate and stickers are yellow. The vehicles are black.
Private hire vehicles cannot be hailed at the roadside. All private hire vehicles must be pre-booked. There is no light on its roof and green licence plates and stickers are displayed on the vehicle. If a private hire vehicle stops when hailed it is likely that persons travelling would not be insured.
Fees for 2023/2024
The fees for Hackney Carriage and Private Hire licences became effective on 01 April 2023.
Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Fees 2024/2025
Notice is hereby given that in accordance with section 70 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, Torfaen County Borough Council propose to charge the following fees for 2024/25. Written objections to the proposed fees may be made to Rachel Jowitt, Strategic Director Economy and Environment, by 17 January 2024 c/o The Civic Centre, Pontypool NP4 6YB or to licensing@torfaen.gov.uk.
The proposed Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Fees 2024/2025 can be found here.
Applications
The Licensing team ask that all applications and required documents are submitted via email to licensing@torfaen.gov.uk. All applications must be fully completed and include a telephone number so that we may contact the applicant should there be any queries.
We will confirm receipt of each application by e-mail and will provide details on how to make payment using the online payment system which is now in place. You can also view Licence Fees for Private Hire & Hackney Carriage Licences here.
Please note that an application will not be deemed valid and properly made until payment is received. Renewal applications and payment must be received before the licence expires.
If you need to submit an application that cannot be done via email, please contact the team to make an appointment.
Forms for download and email submission
These forms are available in Word format only at the moment. Where a written signature is normally required, we will currently be able to accept the completion of your name on the form in lieu of this.
Child Sexual Exploitation - Know the signs
To help keep children safe Heddlu Gwent Police are again urging members of the public to be vigilant about this kind of criminality, and to contact them by dialling 101 or 999 in an emergency with any information they may have. To help members of the public recognise the signs of exploitation and abuse Gwent Police have published a web page.
The Police would rather hear from concerned members of the public who report issues which turn out not to be Child sexual exploitation (CSE), than not be called at all.
Tax conditionality for drivers and private hire operators
The Government has introduced a requirement that applies to all persons applying for hackney carriage and private hire driver licences, or private hire operator licences on or after 4th April 2022. Its intention is to address part of the hidden economy that consists of individuals and businesses with sources of taxable income that is entirely hidden from HM Revenues & Customs (HMRC). New applicants for certain public sector licences, including driver and operator licences, will be assisted to better understand their tax obligations when first applying for a licence. If the licence holder then applies to renew their licence, the application will be conditional on a valid tax check being completed. This is called ‘Tax Conditionality’.
Any new applicant must acknowledge receipt of HMRC guidance relating to tax compliance that we direct them to and confirm that they are aware of the contents of that guidance. This is set out on the relevant application form. They must then sign a declaration to confirm that they understand their tax obligations before we can determine their application. For the avoidance of doubt, the following are considered to be a new applicant:
- anyone who is applying for a driver or operator licence for the very first time; and
- anyone who is applying for a licence for the first time in over 12 months since the expiry of a previous licence of the same type that may have been issued by any local authority, not just Torfaen County Borough Council.
When an application is made to renew a licence, the applicant must provide us with a valid tax check code. A code will also be required from any applicant applying for a new licence but who, within the preceding 12 months, has held the same type of licence as the one that they are applying for issued by any local authority. The tax check code can be obtained from HMRC and must be included on the application form when applying to renew the licence. We will check that the code is valid and if it is, we will be able to proceed with determining the application to renew the licence. We won’t receive any tax or other financial information about any applicant. The tax check code will be valid for 120 days after which time it will expire and a new code will need to be obtained by the applicant if it has not already been provided to us.
Policy on the Administration and Regulation of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licences
The Licensing Committee approved a revised “Policy on the Administration and Regulation of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licences” which came into effect on the 10th February 2022.
Recent changes to the policy include the addition of recommendations published in the Department of Transport's Statutory Standards for Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing (July 2020) and also the Welsh Government's Guide to the Harmonisation of Taxi and Private Hire Licensing in Wales (March 2021). These publications are intended to raise standards and bring consistency across England and Wales to the regulation of those involved in the carriage of passengers for hire and reward. Information for applicants about ‘Tax Conditionality’ has also been added to the Policy.
A copy of the current Policy on the Administration and Regulation of Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licences is available to download. Contained within the policy are the following conditions that licence holders must comply with whilst they hold their licence:
Office Opening Hours
We currently operate an appointment system for personal callers. Applications and supporting documents, must where possible, be emailed to licensing@torfaen.gov.uk. If this is not possible, please contact the team either by email or by telephone on 01633 647286 and an appointment can be made.
Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
The Council have now moved to an online DBS application system which will make the process of applying for a DBS quicker and more efficient for both the Council and the applicant.
When an application is made for to the DBS for an enhanced criminal record disclosure certificate, the DBS will only send a certificate to the person who is subject to the check. The original copy will need to be provided to the team before an application is determined.
It is now a requirement that all licensed drivers submit to the Council every 6 months, an application for an enhanced DBS certificate or alternatively, if subscribed to the DBS update service, give the Council permission to undertake checks of their DBS status. The team encourage all drivers to subscribe to the DBS Update Service as this makes the process of carrying out the 6 monthly DBS checks much easier for you and more cost effective.
Smoking and the use of Electronic Cigarettes
The Public Health (Wales) Act 2017 prohibits smoking in any licensed vehicle. If found smoking in a licensed vehicle, you could be issued with a fixed penalty notice for £100. The smoking of electronic cigarettes or similar is also prohibited in licensed vehicles. If found to be smoking, as well as having a fixed penalty notice issued to you, a review of your licence may also take place.
Fares
The current schedule of Hackney Carriage Fares is available to download. If you have any questions or complaints about fares, please contact us.
The Equalities Act
The Equalities Act 2010 introduced regulations that all taxi and private hire drivers have to comply with.
The duties being placed on the drivers of designated wheelchair accessible taxis and private hire vehicles are:
- to carry the passenger while in a wheelchair
- not to make any additional charge for doing so
- if the passenger chooses to sit in a passenger seat, to carry the wheelchair
- to take such steps as are necessary to ensure that the passenger is carried in safety and reasonable comfort
- to give the passenger such mobility assistance as is reasonably required
The Council is also required to publish a list of wheelchair accessible vehicles. The vehicles on this list are capable of carrying some, but not necessarily all, types of occupied wheelchairs.
A copy of The Equality Act 2010 can be viewed here.
Business Advice
If you are a business and are looking for advice, Torfaen Business Direct provides a single point of contact for all business enquiries, including grants, funding and business development support. To get in touch with the service, contact businessdirect@torfaen.gov.uk or call 01633 648735. Alternatively, you can get in touch via the Business Direct contact form
Please Note - Torfaen County Borough Council (The Council) is under a duty to protect the public funds which it administers and to this end may use the information you provide within Torfaen County Borough Council for the prevention and detection of fraud. The Council may also share this information with other bodies administering or in receipt of public funds solely for these purposes. For further information, visit the National Fraud Initiative area of the website.
Last Modified: 20/12/2023
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