Guidance for Substitute Vehicle Taxi Licence

Before Submitting Your Application

The Licensing Authority has a policy on the minimum criteria for vehicles to be licensed as Taxis; you should ensure that your proposed vehicle meets the criteria.

• Any proposed vehicle must be of a make and model approved by the Authority. The criteria for approval includes requirements for at least four doors and a minimum width across the back seat of 48"/122cm. For more information on approved taxi 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.
• The vehicle's date of registration may be older than five years before the date on which the application for substitution of a vehicle is made, provided that the replacement vehicle is a newer vehicle than that which is currently licensed (The age of a vehicle is determined by the date of registration as reflected on the V5 registration document).

Important Note:  The Licensing Authority has adopted a policy that from 31 December 2022 all taxi vehicles must meet the following emission standards:- Euro IV for petrol vehicles and Euro VI for diesel vehicles.

Submitting Your Application

To apply to substitute your licensed vehicle you should complete the Online Application Form with the relevant fee.

Application Fee

The current application fee is £27.00. The fee is payable when the application is lodged and is non refundable. 

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 reference: Sub/Plate No as detailed below:-

Account Name: Glasgow City Council - Licensing
Account No. 00116224
Sort Code: 83-44-00
Reference: Sub/Plate No 

Payment submitted by post should be in the form of Cheque or Postal Order. All Cheques and Postal Orders should be made payable to Glasgow City Council. Do not send cash by post.

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

Timescales for Completion

You have 28 days from the date the application is submitted to arrange for the proposed vehicle to be inspected and complete the full procedure as detailed in Section 5 below. If you have not produced the required documentation within this 28 day period then your application will be deemed not competent.

Arranging Inspection of your Proposed Substitute Vehicle

Before presenting the substitute vehicle for inspection you will require to:-

• telephone the Inspection Centre Booking Line for an appointment on 0141 287 3326 between the hours of 9.00am - 4.30pm Monday to Sunday (except public and bank holidays). Please state that you require a substitute vehicle inspection and quote your receipt number. If you require a dual MOT test you must advise the booking line when arranging your inspection.
• have the engine and underside of the vehicle thoroughly cleaned;
• have a fire extinguisher of an approved type (constructed in compliance with BSEN 3-5 1996 and maintained as per BS50306 Part 3 1985) fitted in the vehicle; and
• remove all seat covers. If you are unable to attend a scheduled inspection you should contact the Inspection Centre to cancel your booking.

If you fail to attend your scheduled inspection or you cancel giving less than 24 hours notice then you will be charged for the inspection.

Presenting your Proposed Substitute Vehicle for Inspection

The Inspection Centre is located at:

Motor Transport Section
25 Polmadie Road
Glasgow G42 0PJ

To enter the Inspection Centre, turn left before the weigh bridge and follow the signs on the road.

Please arrange to arrive promptly at the Inspection Centre at the date and time of your scheduled inspection.

You must produce the receipt for your substitute vehicle application to the Test Examiner and pay the required fee of £51.50 for inspection of your proposed vehicle.

If the proposed substitute vehicle passes inspection you will be issued with a pass certificate. If the vehicle fails inspection you will be issued with a fail notice to that effect and the vehicle should be presented for re-testing at the Inspection Centre within 14 days of failing inspection. A further fee of £34.00 may be payable at the Inspection Centre for the re-test of the vehicle.

Completing the Substitute Vehicle Process

Once you have obtained a pass certificate:

• You will be given a 'production of substitution documentation form' for completion and this along with a valid certificate of insurance for taxi purposes must be submitted to the admin team at the inspection centre.
• This documentation along with the pass certificate will be emailed by the admin team to the Licensing Section who will review the documents, within one working day of receipt, to ensure that they are acceptable.
• If the documents are not acceptable, you will be contacted by the Licensing Section in order to resolve the matter.
• If the documents are acceptable, you will receive an email to confirm that the new vehicle is now licensed.
• If you require and have applied for new identification plates you will be written to separately when the new plates are ready to be collected.

Important

The insurance certificate must be in the name of either

1. the licence holder (generally a company name)
2. the day to day manager
3. all named directors, partners etc "trading as" the licence holder

The substitute vehicle is not licensed and must not be used for Taxi purposes until you receive a confirmation email from the Licensing Authority that the vehicle has passed inspection and is properly insured.

Where can I Get Further Information

If you have any further questions about the application process the Council's Licensing Section will be happy to assist you. Please note that whilst the Licensing Section can provide guidance, the team cannot offer you legal advice.

You can contact the Licensing Section by phone Phone: 0141 287 5354 or by Email.