CALLS have been made for new rules to be introduced for the hiring of limousines, wedding cars and funeral hearses.

Wrexham Council has also suggested CCTV and tracking devices should be installed in taxis after claiming current legislation for licensing taxis and private hire vehicles is ‘not fit for purpose’.

The Welsh Government is consulting on reforms to the system after ministers raised issues with inconsistent standards and the inability for authorities to share safeguarding information.

In their response, council chiefs said technology would help to improve record keeping.

They said: “The existing legislation is archaic, not fit for purpose and requires fundamental reform with new primary legislation.

“The panel believe that ideally records should be kept for every journey undertaken, however, there are obvious practical difficulties with taking this approach.

“A better option would be to use technology to better the safeguarding processes.

“The use of CCTV, trackers and GPS systems would not only provide a more robust system for record keeping, but would also not place an administrative burden on taxi drivers

“The cost of fitting CCTV within licensed vehicles particularly for small businesses may require subsidy from Welsh Government.”

The government has put forward several proposals to transform the system, including transferring the licensing powers of the 22 local authorities in Wales to a single national authority.

However, the council has objected to the potential loss of local enforcement controls.

It said it would result in the loss of more than £150,000 a year worth of income for the authority, which could result in properties used by its licensing department being reviewed.

They said: “We do not support the proposal on the information provided, as there is no evidence to support the need to redirect the existing taxi and private hire vehicle licensing function away from local authorities.

“At this stage there is no detail contained within this white paper as to how the Joint Transport Authority would undertake the licensing function.

“Our overriding concern is the protection of the public, and there in nothing contained within this proposal which suggests that public safety is at the forefront of this proposal.”

The council’s draft response will be discussed by members of the environmental licensing committee on Monday, March 25.