Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a taxi vehicle licence. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Authority.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Mr X, says the Authority did not tell him he would need to renew his taxi vehicle licence earlier than usual. Mr X cannot now renew the licence and cannot work.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Authority. This includes the correspondence about the renewal and letters the Authority sent to Mr X in 2023 and 2024. I also considered our Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. The Authority introduced age rules for taxis in 2019. The rules say a taxi must be less than 12 years old to be covered by a licence. The Authority will not renew a licence if it would expire after the taxi has reached the maximum age limit of 12 years. The Authority explained the new rules in a notice in 2019 and the rules are explained on its website.
5. The Authority sent Mr X licence renewal letters in April 2023 and April 2024. The letter explained the age rules and told Mr X how he could get more information. Mr X renewed the licence for 12 months from May 2024; the licence expired on 24 May 2025.
6. To comply with the age rules, Mr X should have renewed the licence before 3 March 2025. This was the last date Mr X could have obtained a 12 month licence allowing the taxi to remain under 12 years of age for the whole of the licence period.
7. Mr X contacted the Authority in May 2025 to say he had not been sent a renewal form and had just found out his taxi is too old for a new licence. Mr X said the Authority had not issued a renewal form or explained the age rules. Mr X said he had moved in December 2023 but had not received any renewal letters through the mail redirection service.
8. In response the Authority said it had not been told Mr X had moved and it sent the renewal letters to his old address. It explained Mr X should have renewed the licence before 3 March and the taxi is now too old to have another licence. The Authority said it cannot extend the licence or issue an age exemption.
9. I will not start an investigation because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Authority. The age rules are available on the Authority’s website and were explained in the renewal letters. Mr X moved in late 2023 but the Council sent a renewal letter in April 2023. Mr X could have sought more information if he did not understand what he needed to do to comply with the rules. I do not know if Mr X received the April 2024 letter because he moved, but there is nothing to suggest fault in the way the Authority sent the letters and provided information about the age limits.
10. The Authority cannot issue a taxi licence for less than 12 months and cannot issue a licence if the taxi would not be less than 12 years old for the whole of the licence period. The Authority’s decision that it cannot issue another licence correctly reflects the policy so there is no reason to start an investigation. We cannot ask the Authority to renew the licence because that would be in breach of the policy.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate this complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Authority.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman