Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869 (c. 115)

Licensing Drivers of Hackney and Stage Carriages U.K.

F1 [8 Hackney carriage to be driven by licensed drivers. E+W

(1) Transport for London shall have the function of licensing persons to be drivers of hackney carriages.

(2) No hackney carriage shall ply for hire within the limits of this Act unless under the charge of a driver having a licence under this section from Transport for London.

(3) If any hackney carriage plies for hire in contravention of this section—

(a) the person driving the carriage, and

(b) the owner of the carriage, unless he proves that the driver acted without his privity or consent,

shall each be liable to a penalty not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale.

(4) Transport for London may send to the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis or the Commissioner of Police for the City of London—

(a) details of a person to whom Transport for London is considering granting a licence under this section, and

(b) a request for the Commissioner’s observations;

and the Commissioner shall respond to the request.

(5) A licence under this section may—

(a) be granted on such conditions,

(b) be in such form,

(c) be subject to revocation or suspension in such event, and

(d) generally be dealt with in such manner,

as may be prescribed.

(6) Subsection (5) of this section is subject to the following provisions of this section.

(7) [F2 Subject to section 8A, a] licence under this section shall, if not revoked or suspended, be in force for three years.

(8) A fee of such amount (if any) as Transport for London may determine shall be paid to Transport for London—

(a) by any applicant for a licence under this section, on making the application for the licence;

(b) by any applicant for the taking or re-taking of any test or examination, or any part of a test or examination, with respect to any matter of fitness, on making the application for the taking or re-taking of the test, examination or part; and

(c) by any person granted a licence under this section, on the grant of the licence.

(9) In paragraph (b) of subsection (8) of this section “matter of fitness” means—

(a) any matter as respects which Transport for London must be satisfied before granting a licence under this section; or

(b) any matter such that, if Transport for London is not satisfied with respect to the matter, they may refuse to grant a licence under this section.

(10) Different amounts may be determined under subsection (8) of this section for different purposes or different cases.

(11) Transport for London may remit or refund the whole or part of a fee under subsection (8) of this section.]

Textual Amendments

F1 S. 8 substituted (3.7.2000) by 1999 c. 29, s. 253, Sch. 20 Pt. I para. 5(5) (with Sch. 12 para. 9(1)); S.I. 2000/801, art. 2(2)(c), Sch. Pt. 3

F2 Words in s. 8(7) substituted (1.12.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), s. 94(1), Sch. 5 para. 3 (with Sch. 5 para. 54); S.I. 2016/1037, reg. 5(i)

[F3 8A Drivers' licences for persons subject to immigration control U.K.

(1) Subsection (2) applies if—

(a) a licence under section 8 is to be granted to a person who has been granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for a limited period (“the leave period”),

(b) the person's leave has not been extended by virtue of section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 (continuation of leave pending variation decision), and

(c) apart from subsection (2), the period for which the licence would have been in force would have ended after the end of the leave period.

(2) Transport for London must grant the licence for a period which ends at or before the end of the leave period.

(3) Subsection (4) applies if—

(a) a licence under section 8 is to be granted to a person who has been granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom for a limited period, and

(b) the person's leave has been extended by virtue of section 3C of the Immigration Act 1971 (continuation of leave pending variation decision).

(4) Transport for London must grant the licence for a period that does not exceed six months.

(5) A licence under section 8 ceases to be in force if the person to whom it was granted becomes disqualified by reason of the person's immigration status from driving a hackney carriage.

(6) If a licence granted in accordance with subsection (2) or (4) expires, the person to whom it was granted must, within the period of 7 days beginning with the day after that on which it expired, return to Transport for London—

(a) the licence,

(b) the person's copy of the licence (if any), and

(c) the person's driver's badge.

(7) If subsection (5) applies to a licence, the person to whom it was granted must, within the period of 7 days beginning with the day after the day on which the person first became disqualified, return to Transport for London—

(a) the licence,

(b) the person's copy of the licence (if any), and

(c) the person's driver's badge.

(8) A person who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes subsection (6) or (7) is guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction—

(a) to a fine not exceeding level 3 on the standard scale, and

(b) in the case of a continuing offence, to a fine not exceeding ten pounds for each day during which an offence continues after conviction.

(9) The Secretary of State may by regulations made by statutory instrument amend the amount for the time being specified in subsection (8)(b).

(10) Regulations under subsection (9) may make transitional, transitory or saving provision.

(11) A statutory instrument containing regulations under subsection (9) may not be made unless a draft of the instrument has been laid before, and approved by a resolution of, each House of Parliament.

(12) For the purposes of this section a person is disqualified by reason of the person's immigration status from driving a hackney carriage if the person is subject to immigration control and—

(a) the person has not been granted leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom, or

(b) the person's leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom—

(i) is invalid,

(ii) has ceased to have effect (whether by reason of curtailment, revocation, cancellation, passage of time or otherwise), or

(iii) is subject to a condition preventing the person from driving a hackney carriage.

(13) Where a person is on immigration bail within the meaning of Part 1 of Schedule 10 to the Immigration Act 2016—

(a) the person is to be treated for the purposes of this section as if the person had been granted leave to enter the United Kingdom, but

(b) any condition as to the person's work in the United Kingdom to which the person's immigration bail is subject is to be treated for those purposes as a condition of leave.

(14) For the purposes of this section a person is subject to immigration control if under the Immigration Act 1971 the person requires leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom.]

Textual Amendments

F3 S. 8A inserted (1.12.2016) by Immigration Act 2016 (c. 19), s. 94(1), Sch. 5 para. 4 (with Sch. 5 para. 54); S.I. 2016/1037, reg. 5(i) (with reg. 6)