The vehicle owner is required to provide appropriate evidence of need from clients, and the exemption certificate incorporates the following statement:

Conditions

This exemption, granted in accordance with S75(3) Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, is for the display of the Private Hire plate on the rear of the vehicle and door signs on each of the rear passenger doors.

The exemption is granted for specific journeys where the vehicle is used for:

• Corporate bookings to transport employees and clients on business journeys, and/or
• Where the client specifically requests a vehicle of a prestige specification at the time of booking

NB The right to exemption is dictated not by the quality of the vehicle but by the type of work being undertaken.  A luxury vehicle which is also used to undertake bookings which do not meet the “prestigious” work as noted above, is required to display an external plate and door signs at all other times.

Where an exemption from displaying the external plate and signs has been applied for and granted, the operator must ensure that the Council’s internal plate is displayed on the windscreen and a second plate displayed within the passenger compartment, in order to identify the vehicle as a licensed Private Hire Vehicle.

The Council’s external plate and signs, together with the exemption certificate, must be carried within the vehicle at all times.

If you wish to continue to operate with an exemption, each time you apply to renew the vehicle licence, you should include a written application for exemption, together with the required supporting evidence from your clients.

In the event of there being any dispute as to the vehicle use, then the onus of proving that the vehicle was engaged in such work will lie with the operator of the vehicle, and not with the Council.