West Suffolk Council is committed to working with the taxi trade to reduce vehicle emissions, and air pollution which causes harm to public health and has huge costs for health and care. This has previously been done by placing maximum age restrictions on vehicles (5 years at first registration and 15 years in total). However, these restrictions do not directly address the issue of emissions as there can be newer vehicles with higher emissions and older vehicles with lower emissions. The proposal for a 15 year maximum was therefore removed in April 2025, in response to feedback from taxi drivers.
In March 2025, West Suffolk Council also agreed to review the maximum age restriction on vehicles at first registration (5 years) and replace it with an emissions standard. Electric vehicles and Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles will be exempt from these changes.
What needs to be considered?
In developing the proposed changes, West Suffolk Council is keen to balance its commitment to encouraging reductions in emissions, with the need to support taxi drivers as small business owners and ensure there are sufficient taxis available for public use. Any changes must avoid placing disproportionate financial impacts on taxi drivers by forcing them to replace vehicles over significantly shorter timeframes than planned.
At this stage, West Suffolk Council is therefore proposing to:
- Remove the age-related requirement for new licensed vehicles under the current taxi and private hire policy; and
- replace with a requirement that all new vehicle licence applications are compliant with the Euro 6 vehicle emissions standard as a minimum.
You can find your vehicle rating in your V5C logbook or for most vehicles, you can check its Euro rating alongside other details at GOV.UK. Below is a table outlining the different Euro standards.
Please note: As you complete this survey, we will collect the data (as a legitimate interest under the Localism Act 2011) to help us assess and improve service delivery in the council's area. Your feedback may be included in any reports, publications or website updates relating to the development of this new proposal, but responses will be anonymised and aggregated so that no individuals can be identified. For more information, visit our website: West Suffolk Council - How we use your information
Should you need a preview of the full survey (for example, to compile a group response) or if you would like to complete the survey offline please contact policy@westsuffolk.gov.uk for further instructions. If you require this survey in another language or format (such as audio, large print, or Braille), please contact the council by emailing policy@westsuffolk.gov.uk. You can also telephone on: 01284 757638