Appendix V: Hackney Carriage and private hire vehicle compliance testing stations and standards

 Test stations

Guidance for Approved Testers

1. This document is intended to provide practical guidance to vehicle testers charged with assessing vehicles being issued with a certificate of compliance. It will also give a general insight into the type of examination the vehicle will be subjected to before it can be issued with a certificate of compliance.
2. It is the responsibility of owners, Operators and drivers to ensure that their vehicles comply with the current rules and regulations of the appropriate Road Traffic Act and current Construction and Use Regulations at all times.
3. Where a vehicle is found not to conform to the requirements of the M.O.T. test and/or compliance test standards, that vehicle may have its licence suspended until the Borough Councils authorised officers are satisfied that the vehicle is fit to be licensed.
4. No adaptations, alterations, modifications, additional equipment, optional extras with the exception of tow bars fitted to a professional standard, are to be fitted to the vehicles without the prior approval of the Borough Council. Any owner wishing to alter or modify the vehicle, including the fitting of extras or alternative parts to those supplied by the manufacturer must seek prior permission from the Borough Council. Certain modifications may require special inspection by the Borough Council's authorised officer or his nominee before approval is given. (A fee may be applicable)
5. When a vehicle presented for compliance test fails on more than twelve items, that vehicle will have to be re-submitted for a full compliance test and a re-test fee will be charged. The vehicle proprietor will be issued with a failure sheet from the testing station, and the testing station will supply a copy of the failure sheet to the Licensing Team at the Borough Council.
6. Both M.O.T. and compliance tests must be completed by the same examiner at the same test station at the same time of day (obviously MOT testing is completed without avoidable distraction etc so compliance testing may be carried out before or after the MOT inspection). Compliance failure items must be resolved with the same garage at a later date.
7. The Borough Council recognises the need for approved MOT vehicle station examiners to test drive Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicles as part of the compliance inspection process.
8. Vehicles which are less than 3 years old and do not under national law require an MOT are required to be tested which will include a compliance test as well as a mechanical test to MOT standards.
9. The procedures and standards for the tests must follow those laid down in:
   1. The "Best Practice Guide to Inspection of Hackney Carriage & Private Hire Vehicles" produced by the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Inspection Technical Officer Group of the Public Authority Transport Network and published by the Freight Transport Association.
   2. The national MOT inspection manual for classes 3,4,5 and 7 vehicle applicable to Hackney Carriages and Private Hire Vehicles as currently published by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
   3. The Great Yarmouth Borough Council Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Policy and Handbook