WEST Dunbartonshire Council has removed the minimum engine size requirement for taxi and private hire cars.

The move is designed to stay at pace with developments which have seen more vehicles become more fuel efficient such as hybrid vehicles, or electric cars.

As a result, the old requirement, which demanded vehicles for taxi or private car hire use have a minimum capacity of 1600cc, will no longer be enforced.

A report which went before members of WDC’s licensing committee read: “It is now becoming more common for vehicles to be produced using smaller more fuel efficient diesel and petrol engines, hybrid technology, or recently purely electric engines.

“This makes the existing guidance that minimum engine capacity should be 1600cc outdated.

“As there is no common power rating available for all engine types it is recommended that there should be no minimum power rating stipulated.”

The removal of a minimum engine size also supports the council’s environmental aims and objectives.

Recent benchmarking by a member of WDC’s civic government enforcement officers group showed local authorities had the following minimum engine capacities: East Renfrewshire – (no minimum capacity), South Lanarkshire (90bhp/68kw), North Lanarkshire (80bhp), Inverclyde (75bhp), Glasgow (73bhp/54.4kw), East Dunbartonshire (1300cc), North Ayrshire and Falkirk (1400cc), Stirling, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire (1600cc.)

The report goes on: “It is believed that Stirling Council are considering the removal of their minimum engine rating requirement.

“Licensing officers at East Renfrewshire Council have stated that no adverse effects have been noted since their decision in 2015 to remove the minimum engine size requirement.”

The guidance also requires to be updated to convert any measurements into metric equivalent in relation to boot capacity and seat width from the current imperial measurements.

The boot capacity will only be applied to saloons and MPVs.The Reporter has learned that members of the West Dunbartonshire Taxi Forum were consulted via email in relation to the proposed changes.

Members of the licensing committee agreed to remove the minimum engine size requirements.