Citation and commencement

1. These Regulations may be cited as the Local Services (Operation by Taxis) (London) Regulations 1986 and shall come into operation on 16th April 1986.

Interpretation

2. In these Regulations-

"the 1985 Act" means the Transport Act 1985;

"special licence" means a restricted PSV operator's licence granted by virtue of section 12 of the 1985 Act; and

"licensed taxi", "London taxi area" and "taxi code" have the meanings given by section 13(3) of the 1985 Act.

Application

3. These Regulations apply to a licensed taxi which is licensed under section 6 of the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869, at any time when that vehicle is being used to provide a local service under a special licence.

Prescribed Provisions

4.-(1) The provisions specified in the first column of the Table to the extent that they are part of the taxi code, except those provisions specified in the second column thereof, are hereby prescribed as applying in relation to a vehicle to which these Regulations apply.

(2) The provisions so prescribed shall apply;

(a)whether or not the use of the vehicle to provide a local service is within the London taxi area, and accordingly any limitation in those provisions to that area shall have no effect when the vehicle is being so used; and

(b)subject to the modification that any reference to a hackney carriage includes a reference to a vehicle to which these Regulations apply.

Notice and Fare Table

5. The holder of a special licence shall during such time as the vehicle is being used to provide a local service cause-

(a)to be displayed on the vehicle a notice clearly legible from the front which includes the word "BUS" in letters at least 60 millimetres high and indicates either the destination of the vehicle, or its route, or the nature of the service being provided;

(b)any notice which the vehicle is required to display to indicate that it is available for exclusive hire (including any such notice which bears the words "hire", "taxi" or "cab") not to be illuminated by any light forming part of the equipment of the vehicle;

(c)a fare table to be displayed in the vehicle in a manner clearly legible by passengers, and containing sufficient information for any passenger to ascertain the fare for his journey or the manner in which that fare is computed.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

By section 12 of the Transport Act 1985, provision is made for the use of taxis to provide local services. Regulation 4 prescribes the provisions of the "taxi code" (defined in section 13(3) of the Act) which apply in relation to a taxi licensed under section 6 of the Metropolitan Public Carriage Act 1869 when it is being so used. Regulation 5 makes provision regarding the display of notices and of a fare table.