Is Your Stretch Limo Safe?

AS  the senior  school prom season arrives Hart District Council’s licensing department is urging parents to  check that any stretched limousine being booked has been properly checked and licensed.

Last summer the department did a snap check at one local school and found that all five of the limos being used were unlicensed! Prosecutions followed.

This year Hart has written to all senior schools in the district asking them to warn parents of the dangers of using unlicensed vehicles.

Keith Burbidge, Hart’s taxi licensing enforcement officer, said that the law was changed in 2006 so that stretched limousines had to be licensed.

“This was in the interests of passenger safety. But it is known that throughout the country many hire companies still operate illegally and students may be at risk if they use those firms” he said.

To get a licence the drivers are assessed for competence, having the correct licence and being medically fit. They are also screened by the Criminal Records Bureau.

The vehicles are also examined regularly to ensure they are roadworthy and correctly maintained as well as properly taxed and insured.

The company itself also has to provide the required standard of service.

Anyone wanting to check on a limousine operator should ring Hart on 01252 774291 or email licence@hart.gov.uk

Hart warns that it may carry out similar spot checks at a local prom this summer.

New Taxi Plates

Hart has just started issuing new taxi licence plates –designed to make it easier for the public to identify correctly licensed taxis.

The new plates are almost twice as large as the previous ones with larger lettering on a white background. They will be rolled out over the next year.

The information on the plates remains the same –it shows the licence number, the expiry date, the make and model and the maximum number of passengers allowed.

The drivers are also licensed and carry a badge with photograph.