The Taxi Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2015

General construction and condition N.I.

20.—(1) The bodywork, doors, upholstery and fittings of every taxi shall be soundly and properly constructed of suitable materials, and of such design as to be capable of withstanding the loads and stresses likely to be met within normal operation of the taxi and be maintained in a clean condition.

(2) All wires and equipment carrying electrical current shall be adequately insulated and protected and be so placed as not to be a source of danger.

(3) Where an application is in respect of a Class A, B or D taxi licence the taxi shall have a permanent top and shall be fitted with—

(a) at least 4 doors, of which 2 shall be situated on each side of the taxi, and each side door shall be capable of being opened independently from each other and from inside and outside the taxi;

(b) a steering wheel on the right hand side of the taxi when viewed from a forward-facing front seat; and

(c) 4 wheels.

(4) Where an application is in respect of a Class C taxi licence the taxi shall be fitted with—

(a) at least 2 doors, of which one shall be situated on the nearside of the taxi and one on the offside or rear of the taxi;

(b) a steering wheel; and

(c) 4 wheels.

(5) Where an application is in respect of a Class C taxi licence and the taxi is a heavy motor car or a motor vehicle with a maximum gross weight exceeding 3500 kilograms it shall comply with the additional specifications set out in sub-paragraphs (a) to (l)—

(a) each manually operated door shall have a slam lock of the two stage type;

(b) power operated doors shall be fitted in compliance with Schedule 6 to the Construction and Use Regulations (construction requirements of minibuses);

(c) the hinges fitted to any manually operated door that opens outwards and is situated on the side of the taxi must be fitted to the edge nearest to the front of the taxi;

(d) every handle or device used to open a door on the outside of the taxi shall be not more than 1500 millimetres from the ground;

(e) all doors must be constructed to provide natural light into the taxi and enable a person immediately inside the door to see a person immediately outside the door;

(f) adequate ventilation shall be provided for passengers and the driver without the necessity of opening any main window or windscreen;

(g) there shall be adequate means of communication between the passengers and the driver;

(h) the supports of all seats shall be securely fixed in position and no seat shall be fitted to any door of the taxi;

(i) where any seat is so placed that a passenger seated upon it is liable to be thrown down a stairway in the taxi, an effective screen or guard of between 800 millimetres and 1100 millimetres in height shall be placed so as to afford adequate protection against that occurrence;

(j) the top of the side rails or panels of a taxi not having a permanent top shall be at least 910 millimetres above the floor and at least 455 millimetres above the highest part of any passenger seat cushion and the top of the front and back rails or panels shall be at least 1.21 metres above any part of the floor;

(k) adequate provision shall be made to protect the driver from the effects of glare and reflections caused by artificial interior lighting; and

(l) where the taxi is a decommissioned emergency response or military vehicle it shall be a different colour to that used by the primary user and shall not display any markings or exterior equipment that was used by the primary user.

(6) In this regulation—

“forward-facing front seat” has the same meaning as in regulation 55(11) of the Construction and Use Regulations (seat belts); and

“primary user” means the first user for which the vehicle was manufactured.