Types of vehicles that can be licensed

Following a report considered by the Licensing and Appeals Committee on 24 January 2022, private hire vehicles licensed by Manchester City Council are no longer restricted to White or Silver coloured vehicles.

Private Hire vehicles are licenced under Section 48 of the Local Government [Miscellaneous Provisions] Act 1976 and this places a duty on Licensing Authorities to be satisfied that in issuing a licence under this section that the vehicle is not of such design and appearance as to lead any person to believe that the vehicle is a Hackney Carriage. In Manchester, our Hackney Carriage Vehicle Policy requires that only certain types of approved purpose built Hackney Carriages can be licensed , and also that unless they are the London Style of Black Cab, they also have to be black in colour. In practice therefore, this means that if a vehicle is presented to the City Council for licensing as a private hire vehicle and is black in colour the application may be refused if the vehicle has an appearance similar to vehicles currently licenced as Hackney Carriages by the City Council eg Mercedes Vito & Ford Procab.

Vehicles intended to be used for private hire purposes on a new application must:

Must not have been previously written off for insurance purposes.
Private hire vehicles will no longer be licenced when the vehicle is 12 or more years old.
For a wheelchair accessible adapted vehicle must not have been previously written off for insurance purposes.
For wheelchair accessible/hackney carriage vehicles, the licences on these vehicles will not be renewed when the vehicle is 17 or more years old.
These new age limits apply immediately.
Be a 4 door saloon, 5 door hatchback, estate or minibus with right-hand drive and have no more than 8 passenger seats.
Can be petrol, diesel, hybrid, fully electric or LPG.
Be Euro 4 (petrol) and Euro 6 (diesel) compliant. This applies immediately to new applications. Existing licensees have until 31 December 2026 to comply.

If you have any enquiries concerning vehicle specification or seating arrangements, contact Taxi Compliance Test Centre directly on 0161 856 2049 before submitting an application.

Vehicle that uses LPG fuel

If the vehicle has a factory-fitted LPG fuel system, you must provide evidence that this is factory-fitted at the time of application.

If the vehicle has undergone an LPG conversion, you will need to provide the following, as well as that requested on the application form:

Provide the original LPG Conversion Certificate.
Provide valid insurance, acknowledging the LPG conversion.
Satisfy the Council’s storage space requirements (as part of vehicle inspection).

The City Council reserve the right to weigh the vehicle in order to determine the number of passengers it can safely be licensed for.

The LPG Conversion Certificate must be provide with each renewal application and at every vehicle inspection.

Conversion to LPG fuel

If you have your licensed vehicle converted to LPG fuel, you must notify DVLA and also notify Taxi Licensing in writing and provide a copy of the amended logbook (V5C) – you must also register it as being converted to LPG with the UKLPG Autogas Administration.

The City Council reserve the right to weigh the vehicle in order to determine the number of passengers it can safely be licensed for.

The LPG Conversion Certificate must be provided with each renewal application and at every vehicle inspection.

Vehicle with tinted windows

Vehicles will only be licensed where the following is applicable:

There is a clear view of the passengers and the light transmission meets the following criteria:

a. Front windscreen: transmission - minimum 75% light
b. Front side door glass: transmission - minimum 70% light
c. Remaining glass (exc. rear window): transmission - minimum 30% light

These transmissions can be measured using Taxi Licensing’s ‘tint meter’ when presented for testing for their initial vehicle application.

Vehicles can be presented for an informal test on the tint meter at no cost. Contact us to arrange a convenient test time.

Any private hire vehicle having tinted windows fitted mid-licence would be required to meet the current policy. Any vehicle not meeting these requirements will have their Private Hire Vehicle Licence suspended.

Items to be kept in vehicles

First Aid Kits - The proprietor of a private hire vehicle must provide and maintain, in such a position as to be readily available for use in an emergency, a Travelling First Aid Kit (available from Halfords or other recognised car accessories store).

Fire Extinguishers - The proprietor of a private hire vehicle must provide an efficient portable multipurpose powder type fire extinguisher. This must bear a Kite Mark and “date of last service” sticker. The extinguisher must be securely mounted and be accessible and available for use (available from Halfords or other recognised car accessories store).

Taxis and private hire Guidance for Private hire vehicle applications