NO REPAIR garages have come forward to assess taxis forcing a council to rely on standard MOT tests. 

As a result a council has again extended  an exemption to its licensing policy first agreed in February when it terminated its contact with the only garage that could issue its certificates of compliance.

That meant Torfaen Borough Council would accept standard MOT certificates when private hire and hackney carriage taxis licences need to be renewed. 

Only two local garages responded to the council’s tender exercise, that ran from February to May, but neither was appointed meaning there is currently no garage able to issue a certificate to show a vehicle has been inspected to a higher standard than an MOT and meets licensing conditions including displaying council badges and no smoking signs. 

Torfaen’s licensing committee has agreed to extend the deviation, until its next meeting in November, and the council will continue to accept standard MOT certificates with applications to license a new or replacement vehicle, provided the MOT was issued a month before the application. 

MOTs will also be required if a licence is being reinstated if there were concerns about its suitability or it was involved in an accident. 

A new tender exercise could be run but officers have suggested waiting until the new year so six months have passed since the last one finished and to avoid the Christmas period. 

Committee chair, Upper Cwmbran Labour councillor Steven Evans, asked if the council could look outside of Torfaen or use its own garage to issue the certificates. 

Senior licensing officer Robin Grey said the council garage hadn’t submitted a bid and he suspected capacity issues meant it hadn’t tried for the contract. 

Using a garage outside Torfaen is a possibility but Mr Grey said it should be within 15 to 30 minutes of the council’s base as officers can visit several times a week to deliver its licensing plates.

Mr Grey said its possible when a new tender exercise is run more firms may come forward but, in response to Cllr Evans, said he didn’t anticipate going to tender every six months and the council would have to consider alternatives such as its officers carrying out the further inspections. 

In response to a question on how the interim arrangements have worked Mr Gray said there had been positive comments from drivers, who have appreciated the flexibility of using any MOT garage, and the council has run spot checks with the police. 

He said: “There hasn’t been any serious deterioration in standards of vehicles to any great extent, there haven’t been any major issues that we’ve picked up.” 

Blaenavon independent member Nick Horler said he was concerned there was work on offer that businesses in Torfaen didn’t want and asked if the council knew of any reason why it hadn’t been taken up. 

But Mr Gray said it hadn’t “really had any feedback” such as firms stating they were unhappy with the contract.

The committee will also consider long-term options for the testing of vehicles at its next meeting. 

Cllr Evans declared an interest as he is a Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency inspector.