This guide aims to inform Hackney Carriage vehicle owners to help them understand and prepare for vehicle tests and inspections as part of the vehicle licence application process.
Vehicle owners should be reminded that vehicles should be serviced regularly by a competent, qualified and insured vehicle mechanic who has all the appropriate equipment at his disposal to professionally check and service your vehicle.
Vehicle age
This guide has been produced to help applicants for a Hackney Carriage vehicle licence to know about the Council's vehicle test requirements. It will assist you in preparing your vehicle for that test.
Vehicles can be tested at one of approved vehicle testing stations; Sunnybank or Bradley Fold, for vehicles:
- under three years old, will have one inspection per year
- over three years old, will have two inspections per year.
New licensed vehicles must be under 15 years old from date of registration coming on to the fleet and will not be licensed after they reach 15 years old from date of registration.
All existing licensed hackney carriage vehicles that have been written off in any category can continue to be licensed until 1 April 2026.
The Greater Manchester Clean Taxi Fund will assist vehicle proprietors to upgrade their vehicles and be complaint with the Greater Manchester Clean Air Plan. Further information will be sent out to the trade once the funding is available.
Any new vehicle licence applications coming onto fleet cannot be written off in any category.
All existing licensed private hire vehicles that have been written off in any category can continue to be licensed until 1 April 2026.
Please note: Council policy states that from 1 April 2025 a vehicle licence will not be renewed if the vehicle has been previously written off.
We test your vehicle to make sure it is mechanically safe and would pass a standard class 4 MOT test. The appearance of the bodywork and paintwork should be of a high standard, free of damage and rust. The inside of the vehicle must also be of a high standard, clean and comfortable for passengers travelling in it.
Hackey carriage vehicles do more mileage than an average car. This means that mechanical items, tyres, and body work will deteriorate. It is important and expected by the Council that vehicle owners maintain their vehicles during the period of the licence. The Council expects vehicle owners to have their vehicle serviced at regular intervals in accordance with the vehicle manufacturers service schedule by a competent person such as a qualified and experienced vehicle mechanic. Defective components should be replaced, and all repairs carried out to a professional standard.
Vehicle specification
Only wheelchair accessible vehicles with at least two side doors to the rear passenger compartment will be considered for licensing as a Hackney Carriage.
All vehicles must conform to the M1 standard. Any modified vehicle at M2 standard must have an appropriate test to make sure it conforms with single vehicle type approval.
The current policy of the Council is not to licence any rear loading vehicles.
The rear compartment entrance/exit doors must be of a suitable size to allow access for a wheelchair.
There must be enough room in the rear of the vehicle for a wheelchair to turn around and be positioned correctly facing to the rear.
The vehicle must be capable of properly securing a wheelchair to the vehicle floor using a suitable type of clamp or restraint.
Correct wheelchair restraint(s) must be always in each vehicle. These must be presented at the vehicle compliance test. The person who brings the vehicle for test must be able to show the vehicle inspector that they know how to use the restraints to secure a wheelchair correctly and safely in the rear of the vehicle.
Wheelchair ramps must be capable of being securely fixed to the vehicle during use. They must also be of a type and length allowing safe and easy use by the person loading the wheelchair.
Wheelchair ramps must be safely and securely stored in a suitable area of the vehicle when not in use.
Seat belts must be fitted to restrain wheelchair occupants. A single seatbelt must not be used to restrain both the wheelchair and occupant.
No retrofitting of engines into older vehicles will be allowed. LPG conversions will be accepted.
Where retrofit emissions technology is installed it shall be approved as part of the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS).
- Specification for window tints: Remaining glass or rear side windows, excluding rear window, allow manufacturer's tint to a minimum 20 percent light transmission.
After 1st April 2022 vehicles being first licensed will not be accepted if they have been written off in any category and will not be renewed, if previously written off.
All licensed vehicles must be compliant with the emissions standard, which are currently Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel, as follows:
- for all new to licence vehicles: with immediate effect
- for existing fleets: to begin transitioning as soon as the policy is in place and to complete transitioning by 1st April 2026 and the vehicle must also be compliant with the age policy.
Vehicle signage
All Hackney Carriage vehicles will display permanently affixed licence plates on the front and back of the vehicle.
Any decision regarding the implementation of the proposed 'Greater Manchester approved' bonnet sticker will be delayed for a period of two years while more work is carried out with the trade and Greater Manchester Police to address the concerns raised by the trade relating to antisocial behaviour.
Existing vehicle livery standards in Bury will be retained until the new Greater Manchester livery design, dimensions and placement are confirmed and procured. Ahead of the changes, the existing lively standards will be reviewed to accommodate the Greater Manchester livery. A further update report will be presented to the Licensing and Safety Committee.
Vehicle colour
To implement the policy standard that all Hackney Carriage vehicles should be black in colour for all new and replacement vehicles with the following exceptions:
- advertising is allowed on London Style Taxis
- purpose-built taxis may be of the manufacturer's colour:
- a purpose-built Hackney Carriage is defined as a vehicle that has been manufactured and sold by the relevant manufacturer as a Hackney Carriage. A vehicle that has been manufactured and registered, but subsequently converted is not considered to be purpose-built. Whilst vehicles converted by an approved company post manufacturing process may be permitted onto the fleet, it does not meet the definition of purpose-built and therefore any new Hackney Carriage vehicles of this nature that are licensed must be black in colour.
Taxi meter and fare card
When presented for testing, the vehicle must have a taxi meter, approved by the Council, fitted to the vehicle which contains the tariff of fares approved by the Council. Once sealed, a taxi meter seal must not be broken without the prior approval of an officer from the Council's Licensing Service. New entrants to the Hackney Carriage fleet and vehicles transferred to other individuals must have a calendar-controlled meter with only the Council's approved Tariff of Fares installed on the meter.
A copy of the Councils Tariff of Fares must always be on display in the rear passenger compartment of the vehicle where it can be clearly seen by passengers. Vehicles presented for interim or renewal tests must have the Fare Card on display for inspection.
Compliance testing inspection
The test of which vehicles undergo is called a vehicle compliance inspection. Vehicle inspectors use the current MOT standards. Visit our licensed vehicle testing pages for more information.
As Hackney Carriage vehicles do more mileage than normal vehicles on the road there are some items that would pass a normal MOT inspection but would not pass the Council' compliance inspection. Where a higher standard is required, these would be include:
- tyres
- ball joints
- bushes.
The above, as well as other differences, are given in the manual and vehicle owners should read the manual fully so that vehicles are always in a condition where they would pass the vehicle compliance inspection at any time during the currency of the licence.
Once licensed, a vehicle must always have correctly fitted front and rear licence plates and holders, as specified by the Council. These must be on the vehicle when it goes for test. Inside the vehicle passenger compartment, mandatory 'No Smoking' signage and the Council issued window signage must be on display. If any of the signage a been lost or damaged, replacements must be obtained from the Licensing Office before the vehicle goes for its compliance test.
Modified vehicles
Where a vehicle appears to have been converted from the original manufacturer's specification and the Vehicle Registration document does not show it as a passenger carrying minibus / taxi but for example as a cargo carrying panelled van, then the vehicle must go to a VOSA test centre for Individual Vehicle Approval (IVA) at the owners expense. It must then undergo the normal compliance inspection at the councils approved testing station(s).
VOSA will expect the owner to provide a 'Certificate of Conformity' supplied by the company which carried out the conversion stating that any additional seats or seat belts and their anchorages where to M1 pull standard and that they were fitted in accordance with the appropriate manufacturer's specifications. VOSA would then inspect the vehicle to ensure that the flooring or fixings comply with current regulations.
In addition to the above, the following is the Council requirements in relation to modified vehicles:
- Modified minibuses and public service vehicles (PSVs): vehicles which are described other than category 'M1' on the DVLA V5 logbook, must enable passengers seated behind the driver to have access to at least 2 doors (side or rear opening) without having to climb over or fold down any seats. If the vehicle is to carry a wheelchair, please refer to the wheelchair accessible section of this guide
- Manufacturer's original glass should already satisfy the requirements in respect of the glass to the front windscreen and the front doors, provided that this glass has not had any laminating film or secondary treatment applied. However, such glass fitted elsewhere on the vehicle may not meet the above criteria and will have to be replaced:
- all retrofitted seatbelts must meet MOT installation and condition standards
- the passenger interior floor area must be of a flat, non-slip, non-trip surface. Where wheelchair tracking is fitted, the Council recommends the fitting of blanking strips
- partitioned rear passenger compartments must be heated with a variable control heater that is linked to the main vehicle heating system. All exposed piping and wiring must be secure and adequately insulated. All exposed piping and wiring must be secure and adequately insulated. Water leaks are unacceptable
- no interior surface within the passenger compartment shall contain sharp edges likely to cause injury
- all interior trim must match and be fitted to a professional standard. Evidence of obvious work or modification should not be on view
- all modified seats fitted must be of a matching type. On the initial inspection, seats must not be fitted with removable seat covers
- all vehicles must be fitted with safety glass containing an approved marking to this effect. Any partition fitted with safety glazing (plastic) must be of a suitable material, for example shatter proof
- rear compartment entrance or exit areas must be adequately illuminated at floor and at higher levels. The lighting must operate automatically when each rear passenger door is opened
- all passenger doors must be capable of being kept in the open position
- each rear passenger door opening must have at least one grab handle to assist passengers entering and exiting the vehicle. Each handle(s) must be securely fixed using a substantial mounting(s) such as machine screws that can hold a reasonable force
- each rear passenger compartment must contain at least two windows that can be opened from the interior for ventilation purposes
- the Council recommends that all rear facing seats are fitted with a head restraint/cushion to reduce injury in the event of a collision
- the maximum height from the road surface to the passenger floor should be no more than 420mm at any point. Vehicles exceeding this figure must have some form of step incorporated into the bodywork. This may be of a retracting or folding type.