RBWM's (Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead) Licensing Panel is due to consider proposed changes to hackney carriage and private hire vehicle rules aimed at cutting emissions — while softening age limits for cleaner vehicles and consulting drivers first.
Councillors are scheduled to discuss the proposals at a Licensing Panel meeting on Monday 12 October 2026. A consultation with taxi drivers is due to start on 13 October, after officers warned that tighter vehicle restrictions could have “unforeseen consequences” for the trade.
What would change
From 1 April 2028, all newly licensed hackney carriages and private hire vehicles would need to be Euro 6, ultra low emission (ULEV) or zero emission capable (ZEC).
From April 2030, newly licensed vehicles would need to be ULEV or ZEC compliant.
Separately, from April 2027, vehicles that meet zero-emission, Euro 6, ULEV or ZEC standards would no longer face licensing age limits — covering both existing and newly licensed vehicles.
For other RBWM-licensed taxis and private hire vehicles, age limits would remain: no more than five years old when first licensed, and a maximum of 12 years from first registration.
Why age limits are in the frame
The Department for Transport’s taxi and private hire best practice guidance says arbitrary vehicle age limits “may be inappropriate, counterproductive and result in higher costs to the trade and ultimately passengers.”
It points out that a five-year-old used electric vehicle can produce lower emissions than a new Euro 6 petrol or diesel car, so rigid age caps can slow the shift to cleaner fleets. Ministers recommend targeted rules on emissions, safety and accessibility instead of blanket age cut-offs.
RBWM’s proposals track that direction for compliant vehicles, while keeping age rules for the rest of the fleet.
Climate strategy and longer-term fossil fuel exit
The changes sit alongside the borough’s adopted Environment and Climate Strategy 2026–2035, which treats transport as a major source of local emissions and backs a shift to zero-emission vehicles.
Officers say that path could eventually mean fossil-fuelled hackney carriages and private hire vehicles are no longer licensed in the Royal Borough. That would be a long-term move needing “considerable planning” and at least a ten-year lead-in so drivers can prepare.
For now, the immediate decisions are the 2027 age-limit carve-out, the 2028 Euro 6 / ULEV / ZEC gate for new licences, the 2030 ULEV / ZEC step-up, and how the trade consultation from 13 October shapes the final policy.