
UK Limos on the Roads
As a crackdown looms, legitimate limousine operators fear they'll be driven out of business, because the legislation makes it all but impossible for many vehicles to comply. So, you never know when there will be a blitz on illegal limos. The last thing you would want is the limo you were expecting for your wedding or prom to betaken off the road.
There are 11,000 limousines operating in the UK with an extra 5,000 expected over the next 12 months. Government statistics show that up to 40 per cent of all limousines are illegal, the majority will be those that carry more than eight people. The largest classic American stretch limos, usually based on a Lincoln or Cadillac, carry up to 16 people. The newer generation of stretched off-roaders such as Lincoln Navigators – and Hummers – can take up to 30 passengers.
Under current British law any car which carries fewer than eight people, including a limousine, can be licensed by the local council as a taxi. But problems begin with the much larger American-style vehicles that are usually shipped in from abroad and have become by far the most popular style of limousine on the roads, particularly for teenagers.
A spot check of London limousines by police in 2004 found that half were breaking the law. A similar investigation by police in Southampton in 2006 forced a quarter of the entire city's limousine fleet off the road while 70 per cent of the drivers were committing some sort of driving offence.
In what some limo companies fear will become a damaging development, the Local Government Association announced that councils will link up with police to increase roadside spot checks and haul the illegal limousines off the road – raising the prospect of some alcohol-fuelled revellers being unceremoniously ejected from their limo on to the pavement.
The problem with trying to regulate the newest super stretch limos is that there is no consistent black-and-white law to say what's legal and what isn't. The fact that some limo laws are inconsistent has been highlighted, but with HireLimos you don’t need to worry because all of our limos operate well inside the laws, whether those laws make sense or not.
Powered by HireLimos.com - Suppliers of Hummer limos, pink limos and stretch limo hire in the UK. |
All content/images ©www.hirelimos-dartford.co.uk |