UK government is changing rules and laws on stretch limousines operation due to increasing number of these cars.
Before hiring a stretched limousine
, we strongly suggest you make yourself aware of the following safety requirements and satisfy yourself that your limo hire operator complies in all respects.In the UK, private hire limo firms have fully vetted vehicles and chauffeurs. All chauffeur driven private hire limousines are restricted to a maximum of eight passengers irrespective of limo size. There are no exceptions to this rule under private hire regulations.
In order to carry more than eight passengers for hire and reward, a limo must be registered as a Public Service Vehicle (PSV) and have a Certificate of Initial Fitness (COIF). However, most of the American limousines, (including the large 4-wheel drive
Hummer Limousines, Navigators, Escalades, Excursions, etc) do not yet comply with the certificate of initial fitness requirements.More companies are looking to obtain PSV registered limos and some (but not all) Hummer linos and Ford Excursion Limos are starting to appear. At the time of publication, we are aware that very few other vehicleshave a COIF certificate, Pristine Limousines have one of a kind huge party bus with a COIF certificate capable of carrying up to 16 passengers. Pristine also have the correct bus operators licence to ensure the greatest level of protection for passengers travelling in this truly fabulous vehicle.
Your Safety
Limo Hire, rather like taxi hire (private hire), is usually regulated by the local authority in which it is licensed, or by the local area traffic commissioner (in the case of bus licensed operators). These authorities are responsible for ensuring the safety of all passengers traveling in vehicles owned by operators who charge for their service. Not all operators are trading within the law so be careful to check that your limo hire service is before proceeding.Your Protection
Private hire licensing authorities carry out regular vehicle safety checks and must satisfy themselves that relevant insurance and other documentation is in order each year. To further protect the public from unscrupulous operators, they also carry out regular chauffeur driving qualification checks and licence each chauffeur individually. Individual licensing also involves regular medical checks and annual criminal records bureau (CRB) checks.
Dodgy Limo Operators
We strongly advise you not to use a limo hire operator that does not comply with legal requirements. If you are hiring on behalf of a friend, family, employee or client, you may become personally liable if you provide a limousine hire service that is not operated within the law and something goes wrong.