Your Ref:
Our Ref: EIR/424015 /
Mr Martin Dunschen
Email: / 5 January 2016
Dear Mr Dunschen
Environmental Information Regulations 2004 Request 424015
Thank you for your recent request received 24 November. Your request was actioned under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 in which you requested the following
- According to the 'BEST PRACTICE GUIDANCE' for licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles it is recommended to test the emissions of taxis more frequently and on an ad-hoc basis:
"Local licensing authorities may wish to note that a review carried out by the National Society for Cleaner Air in 2005 found that taxis were more likely than other vehicles to fail an emissions test.
This finding, perhaps suggests that emissions testing should be carried out on ad hoc basis and more frequently than the full vehicle test."
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/212554/taxi-private-hire-licensing-guide.pdf
Please could you let me know
- how frequently taxis licensed by LCC are tested;
- if these tests are more frequent than the yearly MOT tests
- how many emission tests on these taxis have failed/passed; and
- how this relates to the total number of taxis licensed by LCC.
Response:
Liverpool City Council holds information relevant to your request and can confirm the following:
- In response to all elements of your request the City Council can confirm that all licensed vehicles are compliance tested and DVSA tested a minimum of once a year with PHV being licensed bi-annually once they are 8 years of age. HCV are currently tested annually and once they reach the age of 11 years bi-annually. Our fleet is subject to regular inspections throughout the vehicles’ licence period.
Additionally, we can confirm that approximately 95% of vehicles pass first time when tested under DVSA emissions testing conditions.
The City Council’s PHV &HCV fleet to date is 1426 HCV and 1833 PHV currently licensed.
This concludes our response
The City Council will consider appeals, referrals or complaints in respect of your response and these must be submitted these in writing to within 28 days of receiving your response.
The matter will be dealt with by an officer who was not previously involved with the response and we will look to provide a response within 28 working days.
If you remain dissatisfied you may also apply to the Information Commissioner for a decision about whether the request for information has been dealt with in accordance with the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.
The Information Commissioner’s website is www.ico.gov.uk and the postal address and telephone numbers are:-
Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House
Water Lane, Wilmslow Cheshire SK9 5AF
Telephone 01625 545745 Fax number 01625 524 510
Email – (they advise that their email is not secure)
ÿYours sincerely
Mr Kevin Symm
Senior Information Officer
Information Team Municipal Buildings Dale Street Liverpool L2 2DH
Telephone 0151 233 0418 Email