The council’s cabinet is recommending changes to allay Lynn cabbies’ concerns and claims that the current borough rules, in operation since April 2006, have not been evenly enforced.

It is recommending the full council changes the first registration condition from cars under one year old and fewer than 15,000 miles on the clock to under three years of age and less than 60,000 miles.

Cabinet is further recommending that the council’s licensing and appeals panel grants first licences to vehicles over three but less than four years old, with 50,000 miles or less, or up to two years old with more than 60,000 miles but less than 70,000 miles, if they were considered exceptional examples.

Factors to take into account in determining exceptional cases would include:

l Condition of bodywork (no dents, scratches, stone chips or rust around wheel arches);

l Manufacturer’s original colour and trim combination;

l Clean and immaculate interior, in original condition, free of damage, minor wear and tear;

l Full main dealer service history, with regular service dates;

l Full documentation (garage receipts showing schedule of works carried out).

Cabinet is recommending that applications to renew hackney carriage and private hire vehicle licences should only be granted up to the tenth anniversary of the first vehicle registration, unless the vehicle is in exceptional condition – with similar factors applying. A new condition recommended would see no taxis or private hire cars given first registration or being relicensed unless they have passed an inspection at one of the borough council’s approved testing stations.

And vehicles five years old or more would have to undergo a similar inspection at an approved testing station every six months.

There are 94 hackney carriages and 169 private hire vehicles licensed with the borough council.