Petrol and diesel taxis could run to 12 years old, hybrids 15 and electric cars with no limit. Card payment would be compulsory. Comments close 21 December.

Taxis and private hire cars in the Stratford-on-Avon district could stay on the road twice as long under a new draft licensing policy. Petrol and diesel cars would be licensed until they are 12 years old. Hybrids would get 15 years. Fully electric cars would have no age limit at all.

The district council opened a 12-week consultation on the draft on Monday 28 September. It closes on 21 December 2026 (Stratford-on-Avon District Council, 28 September 2026).

The new policy would replace rules the council says were introduced in 2009 and amended in 2013. It would run from 2027 to 2032, according to the draft policy document.

Vehicle age: what changes

The policy booklet the council currently publishes, dated April 2016, sets tight limits. A car must be under three years old to get its first licence, and it cannot be renewed once it is over six. Purpose-built wheelchair accessible taxis are the exception and can run to 12 (current policy booklet).

The draft replaces that with limits based on what powers the car:

Vehicle Current limit Draft limit
Petrol, diesel or LPG 6 years (12 for purpose-built wheelchair accessible taxis) 12 years
Hybrid 6 years 15 years
Fully electric or hydrogen 6 years No limit
Age when first licensed Under 3 years No minimum rule

The ages run from the date of first registration and apply at the expiry of the licence. The council’s announcement says the change is meant “to encourage cleaner vehicles whilst giving proprietors flexibility in their choices”.

The safety checks stay. Every car would still need an MOT and an inspection at a council-approved garage before it is licensed. Cars over three years old would need a second MOT and inspection six months into each licence.

Card payment in every car

From 1 January 2027, the draft says every licensed taxi and private hire car must carry a working card or mobile wallet reader “where network coverage allows”. There must be a sign visible from outside the car saying cards are accepted. No surcharge would be allowed for paying by card.

If a card fails, the driver should ask the passenger to try again, then ask about another way to pay. If there is none, the driver should offer to take them to the nearest cashpoint. Neither the 2016 booklet nor the council’s current licence conditions mention card payments.

Other changes for drivers

The draft also proposes:

  • Safeguarding training before a licence is granted, refreshed every three years
  • Disability awareness training refreshed every three years (new drivers already have to take it once)
  • the DBS Update Service for every driver, with online checks every six months; a driver who does not subscribe would get a six-month licence only, with no refund
  • checks against the national register of refused and revoked taxi licences, known as NR3
  • a vaping ban in licensed vehicles, alongside the existing smoking ban
  • new rules on CCTV and dashcams, and on phones, satnavs and booking apps in the car
  • a new convictions and cautions policy to guide officers and the licensing panel

Drivers would pay for the training themselves, the draft says.

For passengers

The draft sets out the duties drivers already have under the Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles (Disabled Persons) Act 2022 and the Equality Act 2010. Drivers must carry assistance dogs unless they hold a valid medical exemption. Drivers of vehicles on the council’s list of wheelchair accessible vehicles must carry a passenger in their wheelchair, and help them in and out.

Children under three may travel in the back without a child seat when no suitable seat is available, as the law allows. Drivers do not have to supply one. Under-threes count towards the number of passengers the car is licensed to carry.

Taxi fares are not part of this consultation. The metered starting charge stays at £3.00, £4.50 or £6.00 depending on the day and time (council taxi fares page).

What it means for you

If you drive a taxi or private hire car, the age change matters most. A petrol or diesel car you could have kept for six years would last up to 12. A second-hand car older than three years could be licensed for the first time. You would also need to budget for the training courses and a card reader before January 2027.

If you use taxis, you should be able to pay by card in any licensed car from next year, with no extra charge. The trade-off is that the cars could be older than they are now. Older cars would still face two inspections a year.

To comment, read the draft on the council’s consultation page and email the licensing team at the address given there by 21 December. Councillor Lorraine Grocott, the portfolio holder, said the council wants to hear from “residents, the taxi and private hire trade, businesses and partner organisations”.

The final policy will go through the council’s committees before it is adopted. For other council business this autumn, see our council tax bands and parking in Stratford pages.