All vehicles involved in an accident, however small, are required to contact the Licensing Department to report the damage.
In accordance with Section 50(3) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, any accident to a taxi or private hire vehicle causing damage materially affecting:
- the safety, performance or appearance of the vehicle, or
- the comfort or convenience of the passengers
must be reported to the Council as soon as you are able to, and in any case within 72 hours.
Following an accident or damage to a licensed vehicle, if the owner or operator wants to continue licensed use, the vehicle must immediately be inspected by a Licensing Officer to determine its fitness for continued use.
If the Licensing Officer determines that the vehicle is fit for continued use, a timescale for cosmetic repairs must be agreed.
The Council may suspend the use of a licensed vehicle until it is suitably repaired and meets our testing requirements.
A licensed vehicle which has suffered major accident damage or requires substantial mechanical repair may be temporarily replaced by a hire vehicle, provided:
- the damage to, or defect in, the vehicle has been reported to the Council
- an application is made in the prescribed manner for a temporary vehicle licence
- the replacement vehicle meets the requirements of the policy and is suitable to be used for hire purposes.
Report an accident
To report an accident please complete the form below and email to licensing@north-herts.gov.uk
Request for a Temporary Vehicle Licence
If your licensed vehicle is involved in an accident and or is damaged and you would like to plate a vehicle for the time the current vehicle is being repaired, then your insurance company is required to make an application using the following steps. You must also make an accident report (see above section).
Temporary vehicle plates will only be issued for 1 month unless agreed with the Licensing Department.
Step 1 – Applying for temporary vehicle
The insurance company will need to refer to the Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy to ensure that the vehicle complies with our current specifications. Then they will need to complete an application form and email it to the Council accompanied by the following documentation:
- Insurance - Minimum of 1 month over from the date the plate will be issued, including the name of the driver and the appropriate usage cover
- V5c (logbook) - stating your name and address (or the company's name and address if operating as part of a business)
- MOT certificate (not older than 2 months from the start of the new plate)
Step 2 – Determination of application
The application will be checked by a Licensing Officer against the policy. Once the application has been determined, you will be asked to make the payment for the application and the compliance test by using our online payment system. When the payment has been received you will be offered a date and time for the Compliance Test for the vehicle and the potential issue of the plate.
Compliance Tests will be undertaken by licensing officers. If you fail to attend a booked appointment, you will need to rebook and pay a non attendance fee.
If the vehicle meets all the requirements, then the Temporary plate will be issued. This must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle at all times.
Please note: you are required to bring the current licence plate to the compliance test and hand it to the officer until you return the Temporary plate.
Step 3 – Issuing the paper licence
The paper licence will be posted to the applicant.
If you wish to extend the temporary vehicle, please email licensing@north-herts.gov.uk.