Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) can now be used as taxis in Kirklees following a policy amendment being green lit by councillors.
Today (July 3), Kirklees Council’s Licensing and Safety Committee met to discuss some updates to the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Vehicle Specification Policy. This sets out the types of vehicles that can be used and standards that must be met.
A few changes were proposed, one of which permitting the use of SUVs, with nine out of 10 vehicles on the road said to be ‘small SUVs’, according to the council’s Public Protection Group Leader for Licensing, Fiona Goldsmith. Another saw the requirement for vehicles to have certain dimensions removed from the policy as vehicles continue to develop and change.
Chair of the meeting, Cllr Eric Firth, said: “I think it makes sense for the SUVs to be licensed. They are higher, and actually easier to get into and out of for somebody with a disability. We’ve all been in saloon cars and getting in’s alright but sometimes if you’ve got a disability or even a bad back, getting out is sometimes a problem.”
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Ms Goldsmith explained that if the council started getting applications for high, off-road type vehicles or complaints about passenger comfort, the policy could be re-visited. The meeting heard that no complaints in relation to the comfort of vehicles have been made in the past 12 months.
However, if a customer feels a vehicle is not suitable for their needs, the driver is required to arrange for an appropriate vehicle for no additional cost. The council says this is something it already expects, should a passenger be dissatisfied with any vehicle they are sent.
In a consultation, public opinion was divided when it came to the use of SUVs. Two-hundred-and-eleven of 372 respondents (57%) agreed with the statement that Multi-Purpose Vehicles (MPVs) and SUVs should not be licensed. One person of this view commented: “MPVs are impractical when it comes to seating people in the rearmost seats and SUVs shouldn’t be licensed as we don’t need more SUVs in our town centres or near schools.”
Others were strongly in favour of the change, with one respondent commenting: “If vehicles can carry passengers and their luggage, then any vehicle should be permitted. I’ve had hips replaced and have problems with some standard cars. 4x4s might just be an advantage round here in winter.”
With today’s unanimous approval, changes to permitted vehicles will be brought in immediately.
