Solihull vehicle maintenance: questions and answers
41 practice questions for the Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council taxi and private hire knowledge test, with answers and explanations at the end.
Free from taxiknowledgetest.co.uk. Not an official council or TfL document: check the current official guidance.
Questions
Daily checks and upkeep
When must a driver do the walkaround check?
How long must walkaround check records be kept?
What condition must a licensed vehicle be kept in?
What tread depth must each tyre have at the vehicle test?
Your vehicle has no spare wheel. What must you make sure of?
One seat in your vehicle has a small tear. Does this meet the interior standard?
Which of these breaks the rules for the outside of a licensed vehicle?
The vehicle test and licence
You buy a brand-new vehicle to license. Does it need a vehicle test?
What is the supplementary test?
How long are the vehicle test papers valid for?
Your MOT certificate has some advisory comments. What must happen before the vehicle is licensed?
Will Solihull license a vehicle that was once declared a write-off?
How recent must the HPI vehicle history report be?
How long is a Solihull vehicle licence normally granted for?
What is the lowest Euro NCAP safety rating a licensed vehicle may have?
You sell your licensed vehicle and want to license a different one. What must be true of the new one?
What is the smallest range an electric vehicle may have to be licensed?
Plates, signs and fittings
Where does the exterior licence plate go?
Where does the interior plate go in a private hire vehicle?
Where does the interior plate go in a hackney carriage?
You finish work for the day. May you take the licence plates off?
A driver wants to hang an air freshener from the rear-view mirror. What applies?
An owner wants to add a sticker advertising a local shop. What applies?
Where must a phone used for work be fitted in the vehicle?
A vehicle licence expires and is not being renewed. How long does the owner have to return the plates?
Collisions, repairs and inspections
Your vehicle is in a minor road traffic collision. How soon must the Council be told?
After a collision the vehicle cannot be driven. What must you send the Council?
The Council suspends your vehicle licence after a collision. What must you do with the plates?
What happens if the repairs are not finished within two calendar months?
You are asked to bring your vehicle for a spot check. What could happen if you do not?
An authorised officer asks for a copy of your insurance certificate. How long does the proprietor have to send it?
You hire your licensed vehicle to another driver. How long must you keep records of who used it, and when?
Hackney carriage meters and access
What must a vehicle be like when it is first licensed as a Solihull hackney carriage?
What kind of wheelchair access must a Solihull hackney carriage have?
How often must a hackney carriage taximeter be calibrated?
The Council brings in a new fare tariff. How long do you have to set the meter to it?
Where must the fare table be displayed?
You are waiting for a fare and the taxi is not hired. What must the meter be?
When must the illuminated roof sign be switched off?
Once hired, which route must you take?
You find a passenger’s wallet in your hackney carriage and cannot return it. What must you do?
Answers
- B. Each day before taking charge of the vehicle. The conditions require a walkaround check each day, before the driver takes charge of the vehicle.
- C. 15 months. The records must be kept for at least 15 months and shown to an authorised officer on request.
- C. As it was when last approved on inspection. The vehicle must be kept in the condition it was in when the licensing authority last approved it on inspection.
- C. More than 2mm. Solihull asks for more than 2mm of tread on each of the four tyres.
- D. That it can be driven safely and legally after a puncture. Provision must be made so the vehicle can be driven safely and legally following a puncture.
- B. No, seats must be free of splits and tears. The interior must be free of splits and tears to the seats, and free of stains to the upholstery.
- A. Visible rust on a door. The exterior must be free of visible rust and large or sharp-edged dents. Officers may use discretion on cleanliness in bad weather.
- D. Yes, all vehicles need one. All vehicles need the test whatever their age, including brand-new ones.
- A. A detailed mechanical inspection as well as the MOT. As well as an MOT, the test centre does a detailed mechanical inspection, called the supplementary test.
- B. 10 working days. The test papers are valid for only 10 working days.
- A. They must be put right. Any advisory matters on the MOT certificate should be put right before the vehicle is licensed.
- C. No, whatever the category. The Council will not license a declared write-off, regardless of the category.
- B. Dated within one month. The report is accepted only if it is dated within one month, and it is needed every time, for new licences and renewals.
- B. One year. A vehicle licence lasts one year and runs with the MOT date.
- C. 4 stars. The vehicle specification asks for a Euro NCAP rating of at least 4 stars.
- D. It must be registered at least 6 months later than the last one. The registration date must be at least six months newer than the vehicle you licensed before, so the fleet keeps getting younger.
- B. 86 miles. An electric vehicle must be able to travel at least 86 miles on a full charge.
- C. Fixed to the rear of the vehicle, not the rear windscreen. The exterior plate must be securely fixed to the rear exterior, must not cover the registration plate, and must not be on the rear windscreen.
- B. On the near side of the windscreen. It goes on the near side of the windscreen, where people inside and outside can clearly see it.
- A. On the partition behind the driver. It is fixed to the partition that separates the driver from the passengers.
- D. No, unless the Council gives written permission. The exterior plate must not be removed without written or electronic permission, and the Council says plates must stay on when you are not working.
- A. Nothing may hang from the mirror. Nothing at all may hang from the rear-view mirror or be fixed to it.
- C. Not unless the Council has authorised it or the law requires it. No signs, notices or advertisements may be displayed unless the licensing authority has authorised them or the law requires them.
- D. Securely fixed, without blocking the driver’s view or control. Any such device must be securely fixed, in a place that does not impair the driver’s view or control while moving.
- C. 7 days. Plates go back within seven days of expiry. If the licence is suspended or revoked, they go back immediately.
- A. As soon as you can, within 72 hours at most. Any road traffic collision involving the vehicle must be emailed in as soon as reasonably practicable, and within 72 hours at most.
- B. Photos of the damage, plus a report if required. Send photos showing the damage. The Council may also ask for a report from an engineer or the recovery company.
- D. Bring both plates back to the Council. You must bring both plates back, and they are filed until the repair is done.
- B. The licence is revoked automatically. If repairs are not completed within two calendar months, the licence is automatically revoked.
- D. You could be investigated for obstruction. Presenting the vehicle is a must. If you do not, you could face an investigation for obstruction.
- B. 48 hours. The certificate must reach the authorised officer within 48 hours of any request.
- C. 12 months. You must keep these records for at least 12 months. Tell the Council before the hire with an ‘On Hire’ form and proof of insurance.
- D. Brand new, with delivery mileage only. A vehicle licensed as a hackney carriage for the first time must be brand new with delivery mileage only.
- B. Side-loading. All must be side-loading wheelchair accessible vehicles, able to carry a reference wheelchair.
- C. Every year. Once a year the meter must be calibrated. It must also be on the current tariff and sealed so nobody can tamper with it.
- C. 28 days. The meter must show the current approved tariff within 28 days of it starting.
- A. In the passenger compartment, easy to read. The current fare table must be inside the passenger compartment, where passengers can read it clearly.
- B. Switched off. The taximeter must be switched off when the vehicle is not hired.
- C. As soon as the vehicle is hired. The roof sign tells people the taxi is free. Turn it off the moment the taxi is hired.
- B. The shortest available, unless the hirer says otherwise. You must go to the destination by the shortest available route, unless the hirer directs otherwise.
- D. Hand it to the Licensing Authority within 72 hours and get a receipt. If you cannot return it, hand it in within 72 hours with details of when you found it and the journey, and get a receipt.
Sources
- Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing Handbook (Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2026), version 1.2, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Version 1.2, dated 1 July 2026, the day it came into force; PDF file created 27 July 2026. Checked 1 November 2026. https://www.solihull.gov.uk/sites/default/files/2026-05/Taxi-Private-Hire-Licensing-Policy.pdf
- Taxi licensing frequently asked questions, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Undated. Checked 1 November 2026. https://www.solihull.gov.uk/business/licences/taxi-licensing/taxi-licensing-frequently-asked-questions