Guidance for Private Hire Car Licence

Who should apply

If you want to operate a Private Hire Car within the Glasgow City Council boundary can apply for a licence by completing an Online Application Form.

As there is currently a Private Hire Car Licence Overprovision Policy please read through the attached document prior to completing your application.What should accompany the application?

Application for Renewal of a Private Hire Car Licence

If the application is for the renewal of a licence, then the relevant certificate of insurance (covering private hire use) for the vehicle concerned must accompany the application.

*Important Information regarding Registration and Insurance Documentation

Please note that the documents for both the grant and renewal of a licence must be either (a) in the name of the applicant or if the applicant is a non-natural person, in the name of the company or partnership or (b) in the name of the person named as the day to day manager or (c) in the name of all the named directors/partners etc. "trading as" Company or partnership.

Are there different types of applciations relating to a Private Hire Car Licence?

Depending on your circumstances you can apply for one of three types of application.  If you do not currently hold a licence with this Licensing Authority you can apply for the following:

If you forget to renew your licence or are unable to do so due to unforeseen circumstances you should contact the Licensing Section by emailing Licensing Enquiries as soon as you become aware that your licence has expired.

How much is the application fee?

The fees are listed below:

Payment must be made via BACS Transfer.

How to make payment?

Applications can only be lodged online and preferred payment should be made by BACS Transfer (electronic banking) to the Licensing Board Account. 

When making payments please quote your licence reference number if you are a current licence holder or provide your Surname/Postcode if you are a new licence holder as detailed below:-

Account Name: Glasgow City Council - Licensing
Account No. 00116224
Sort Code: 83-44-00
]Reference: PV xxxxx or Surname/Postcode e.g. Smith/G1 1DU

Please note that your application will not be formally lodged until payment has been received.  The fees are non-refundable. 

How do I apply?

To apply for a Private Hire Car Licence you should complete the online application form which can be found at on our website.

How will my application by processed?

A 28 day consultation period begins when payment is received and your application is formally lodged. For grant and renewal applications, any person can object to your application at this stage. For temporary applications there is no right to object however, Police Scotland can submit a letter to the Licensing Authority if they have concerns that the applicant is not a fit and proper person to hold such a licence.

During the 28 day consultation period your application will be sent to Police Scotland.  The Police will report on your application and may object or make a representation to the application if they do not consider you a 'fit and proper person' to hold, or continue to hold, a licence.  Police Scotland may also charge you with an offence if you have made a false statement on your application form or failed to declare criminal convictions.

Once the 28 day consultation period is complete, the Licensing Section will review your application.  For renewal applications the Licensing Section has up to 9 months to determine your application

In addition to the 28 day consultation period, your vehicle will require to undergo and pass an inspection prior to any licence being granted.

As there is currently a Private Hire Car Licence Overprovision Policy once the number of private hire car licences in the city of Glasgow reaches 3450, all grant applications received will require to be referred to the Licensing and Regulatory Committee for consideration. You will receive an email requesting your attendance at the meeting and explaining the reason you are being asked to attend. If you receive an email advising you to attend a meeting of the Licensing and Regulatory Committee you should note that, while you are not legally required to attend such a meeting, if you do not attend, the Committee may make a decision in your absence. The Licensing Section will contact you, in writing, after the meeting to advise you of the Committee's decision. The Private Hire Car Licence Overprovision Policy can be viewed here.

The Licensing and Regulatory Committee will also take into consideration whether any adverse comments (for example from Police Scotland) have been received on your application and whether your vehicle has passed its inspection at the Taxi and Private Hire Inspection Centre. Please note you will be provided with any adverse comments with the email advising you of the hearing date.

Please note you will be provided with any adverse comments with the email advising you of the hearing date.

Are there any other Licensing Authority Policies I should be aware of when making my application?

Yes, a full list of the Licensing Authority's current policies which may be relevant to your Private Hire Car Licence application are detailed below.

• In terms of sections 10 (3A) (3B) and (3C) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982,  there will be no overprovision of private hire car services in the city of Glasgow until such time as the number of private hire car licences reaches 3450. Once the number of private hire car licences reaches 3450 there will be an overprovision of private hire cars in the city of Glasgow and as such there will be a rebuttable presumption against the grant of further private hire car licences. ("Private Hire Car Licence Overprovision Policy") The Private Hire Car Licence Overprovision Policy can be viewed here.
• The policy regarding the display of advertising on a private hire car. The advertising policy can be viewed on our Website.
• The Licensing Authority has a policy on the minimum criteria for vehicles to be licensed as a Private Hire Car; you should ensure that your proposed vehicle meets the criteria.  Any proposed vehicle must be of a make and model approved by the Authority as detailed in Appendix A.
  
  The criteria for approval includes the following requirements:
  • at least 4 doors; 
  • 4 passenger seats (not including the driver); 
  • each seat pad is 16" in width, or in the case of a bench seat, 48"/122cm;
  • steering wheel must be fitted to the offside of the vehicle at point of manufacture;
  • body of the vehicle must be of a fixed head type (not convertible);
  • anti lock braking system;
  • driver and front passenger air bags;
  • 3 point seat belts for all seats;
  • side impact bars or suitable equivalent;
  • no steps within the passenger compartment;
  • windows that permit the passengers and driver to be clearly viewed from outside the vehicle; 
  • Not a re-registered vehicle;
  • M1 Whole Vehicle type approval.  
• For more information on approved Private Hire Car makes and models or to check if your   proposed vehicle is of an approved type you can contact the Authority using the contact details at the end of this guidance.   
  • Any proposed vehicle must have a minimum engine power output of 73 bhp; this is equivalent to a minimum output of 74PS or 54.4kw.
  • The V5 registration document details the engine power of a vehicle.
  • Any proposed vehicle must be less than five years old on the date the application for substitution is made unless the vehicle has been licensed by this Authority as a Private Hire Car within the previous 12 months.  The age of a vehicle is determined by the date of registration as reflected on the V5 registration document.  The vehicle to be licensed must be of an approved type. The approved types are listed on the attached list as attached Appendix A. 
• If you are granted a licence and you then require to substitute your vehicle, the replacement this vehicle must be no more than 5 years old at date of first registration when first licensed by the Authority.
• In terms of section 10(2) of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982, all vehicles are required to meet the following emissions standard by 1 June 2023:
  (i) Euro IV for petrol vehicles; and
  (ii) Euro VI for diesel vehicles;
• The age policies which means a vehicle must not be more than five years old from the date of first registration when first licensed by the Licensing Authority with the further restriction that when the vehicle is seven years old from the date of first registration it must be taken out of service and replaced.  The age policy can be viewed here.
• Private hire cars will be identified by:

(i)(a) plates affixed to the front and rear bumpers of private hire car vehicles by means of strapping kits or rivets and positioned upright on the offside of the vehicle, 30cm from the offside edge of the registration plate; or on the front of the private hire car vehicle as central as possible to the middle of vehicle under the vehicle's registration plate; and separately on the rear of the private hire car vehicle at the right hand side of the registration plate, within close proximity to the registration plate;

(i)(b) side plates affixed to the window of each rear passenger door; 

(i)(c) door stickers which must be fixed by the adhesive backing to the front passenger doors;

The Licensing and Regulatory Committee agreed at its meeting on 9 August 2023 that with effect from 1st January 2024, there would be no requirement for an 'innversion' or 'contravision' style sign or product of the same name or similar type to be positioned at the bottom or top of the rear windscreen identifying the booking office to which a licensed private hire belonged.

What happens if my application is granted?

If there was an objection from Police Scotland in relation to your application, then the licence will be provided to you after a period of 28 days from the date the Licensing and Regulatory Committee decide to grant your licence, unless an appeal has been lodged against the decision.  For grants and renewals, the Licensing Section will send you your new private hire licence and notify you to collect your private hire car identification plates

Only the licence holder or someone named on the application form can collect identification plates. Proof of identification will be required when collecting your identification plates, licence etc.  The following forms of identification will be acceptable:-

• the licence holder's private hire car driver's identification badge; or
• the licence holder's passport; or
• two other formal means of identification showing the licence holder's name and home address i.e. driving licence, council tax demand notice or gas/electricity/telephone/credit card bill or statement.

Are there any conditions attached to my licence?

Your licence will be granted with conditions attached. The Licensing and Regulatory Committee may attach conditions to the licence as it sees fit, with each application being dealt with on its own merit. Style private hire car licence conditions can be viewed below.

Conditions attached to this Application

• Private Hire Car Licence Conditions

If my application is granted, will I have to present my vehicle for any further inspections?

Private hire cars will currently require to undergo two inspections per year at six-monthly intervals - the Annual Inspection and the Intermediate Inspection.  You will receive letters or emails from the Licensing Section notifying you when these are due and detailing the procedure to be followed.

Vehicle inspections carried out by the inspection centre should not be regarded as a means of finding out what is required to make a vehicle roadworthy.  Licence holders should ensure that their vehicles are in a suitable, roadworthy condition at all times and that the vehicles and anything attached to the inside or the outside of the vehicle complies with the Licence Conditions detailed above before the vehicle is presented for testing.

If a vehicle does fail an inspection then the remedy will usually be to have any defects attended to as soon as possible before presenting the vehicle for a re-test.

In the event of any dispute with the Council's Inspection Centre at 425 Polmadie Road the matter should be taken up with Mr Jaap, Test Centre Manager in the first instance.  If the matter is not resolved at that stage Mr Jaap will be able to advise of the complaints procedure to be followed in respect of the inspection entre.

What happens if my application is refused?

In the event of an application for grant or renewal of a licence being refused by the Licensing and Regulatory Committee, a written statement of reasons for the decision may be obtained on an email request for reasons being made to the Licensing Enquiries or in writing to the Licensing Section, Glasgow City Council, City Chambers, George Square, Glasgow within 28 days of the decision. 

If you intend to appeal against the Licensing Authority's decision your appeal requires to be made to the Sheriff Court, Carlton Place, Glasgow.  If you wish guidance in making an appeal you should either contact your own Solicitor, if you have not already done so by that stage, or you may contact the Sheriff Clerk, Sheriff Court House, 1 Carlton Place, Glasgow, G5 9DA.

Where can I get further information?

If you are unclear about any of the above please do not hesitate to contact the Licensing Section for assistance or clarification by completing an enquiry form.

Appendix A