Unlicensed

It used to be simple. As they left school at 16, pupils would attend a Speech Day where some local worthy would remind them how privileged they all were to have attended their school and extol the virtues of hard work and continued study. Now, we have instead the imported American prom, together with the necessary celebratory party afterwards.

As the short prom season draws to a close, what parent of a 16 year old hasn’t felt a little apprehensive about the party that goes into the early hours? Who knows what they’ll get up to once they are off the leash. At least the transport to and from the party’s safe. One less thing to worry about.

Unless, of course, they’ve hired an unlicensed limousine. To meet unprecedented demand, limos are proliferating faster than plutonium in North Korea. It’s good business and there are over 12,000 white and black (and pink) stretches in the UK, compared to 3,000 in 2003. Less than half of all limos are licensed, mostly as a private hire car. Which means, in short, unlicensed & unchecked drivers, unregulated & potentially poorly maintained vehicles, the potential for overloading, insurance complications, road safety fears, unfair competition, and all that this little lot implies.

Limos tend to fall outside the rules. They won’t often qualify as PHVs owing to their larger capacity. They can’t qualify as PSVs because they don’t meet a certificate of initial fitness. Parents of promenading youngster would be horrified if they knew that the vehicle and potentially the driver were a cause for serious concern.

What’s required is easy to say but difficult to do. Because the Public Service Vehicles Act 1981 was framed when limos were unheard of, there now needs to be separate legislation in order to cover them. Bona fide limo operators welcome such proposals. Add to this some enforcement (proms tend to be times when VOSA’s examiners are preparing for bed) and the whole limo industry can be placed on a professional footing.