Limo Operator Lied and Unlicensed

There are two principal types of licence available to operate a limousine business in England. The most popular form of licensing for limousine companies is a Private Hire Vehicle licence; these are issued by the local authorities and provided you meet all the criteria, a PHV licence is not that difficult to obtain. If you only provide stretched limousines for weddings or funerals, you do not need to hold an operators licence.

The Road Traffic Act 2006 introduced amendments that require all limousine operators to be licensed from the 1st January 2008. Operators of Public Service Vehicles that carry passengers by road for hire and reward - essentially a payment - must have a valid PSV operator's licence. Why is it then that certain individuals think that they are above the law?

A director of a luxury car hire and chauffeur service could be sent to prison for lying to police to stop his company from being prosecuted for using unlicensed cars. Malcolm Margo, who runs Guernsey Chauffeur Drive Ltd, denied attempting to pervert the course of justice and using public-service vehicles without a licence.

Despite his assertion of innocence, he was found guilty in the Magistrate’s Court, where he was described as ‘a wholly unconvincing witness’ who had told ‘a pack of lies’. Mr Margo said that he had sent handwritten credit notes to two couples who had booked hire cars for weddings to ensure that two unlicensed cars were not being used as public service vehicles.

Operators are licensed to ensure that certain minimum standards are met. Before granting a licence the Traffic Commissioners must be satisfied that the operator is:

• of good repute
• financially sound
• able to maintain his or her vehicles in good condition
• professionally competent

If a limo hire company is indeed running unlicensed limousines what else are they compromising? Are their chauffers licensed? Are they properly trained and indeed competent to drive a large stretched limousine? You can also bet that if they don’t bother to get a licence, then servicing their vehicles and maintaining them in a good safe condition isn’t on their agenda either.

Licensing laws are ultimately there to protect the public. Don’t use unlicensed limousine operators, you may indeed get taken for a ride.


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