Royal Ascot week is the event of the year for those seeking a little glamour, a flutter on the horses and the chance to spend quality time with friends and colleagues. Increasingly, people want to arrive in style and a stretched limousine or prestige car such as a Rolls Royce Phantom, Maybach or Bentley Arnage is the order of the day. This article deals specifically with those seeking to hire a stretched limousine for Royal Ascot.

In the limousine operators calendar, Royal Ascot week is the busiest of the year, coupled with the fact that there are an increasing number of end of year school proms held at the same time. As a consequence, demand always outstrips supply, so the late comers tend to end up with the more questionable limousine operators, (yes there are a few) or some of the older limos, that have been dusted off for the week. So the first piece of advice is to book as early as possible, you simply cannot book your limo too early, many regular Royal Ascot fans will actually book a year in advance!

Finding a limousine company is not difficult there are, for example, many niche directories on the internet such as the Chauffeur Cars & Limousine Hire Directory (limos and chauffer cars) and the Chauffeur Cars Directory (chauffeur cars only). Utilising these specialist directories you will be able to navigate down to your nearest limousine operator, but remember, because of the limited supply, you may actually have to hire your limo from further afield, but this should not concern you too much, because most professional limo operators will not penalise you based on the fact that will have to travel a longer distance to commence the hire. To find the ‘right’ company requires a little more work.

A check list is provided below. Most limousine companies, but by no means all, will offer a package for Royal Ascot, typically this would include an open sided marquee, tables, chairs and some complimentary wine and/or Champagne. Most will not, however, offer an ‘inclusive’ package which includes parking and entry tickets. The majority of limo operators would prefer to leave these types of packages to the experts. But, to be certain what you will get for your money, insist on a written quote and a copy of their terms and conditions of hire.

Another important aspect of hiring a limousine for Royal Ascot is to ensure that the company you select for your hire is correctly licensed. In the past, it has been possible to limousine operators to trade without the need to apply for an appropriate private hire or PSV operator licence, this has now changed. Section 53 of the Road Safety Act 2006 introduced an amendment to section 75(1) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, covering hackney carriages and private hire vehicles in England and Wales (excluding London which is covered separately), whereby paragraph (b) was omitted. It was this paragraph that originally allowed limousine operators to operate without a Private Hire Vehicle licence or Public Service Vehicle Operators licence. Because the London area is covered by the  Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998, a further amendment was made to this particular Act to ensure that the Licensing requirements were uniform. This part of the Act will come into force from the 1st January 2008.

So the bottom line, is all limousines must be licensed from 1st January 2008 either as a Private Hire Vehicle (PCO Licence in London) or a Public Service Vehicle and the companies must hold the corresponding operators licence. This does not mean any hires accepted after 1st January 2008, but any hire completed after that date. So booking early will not negate the requirement that the limo company be properly licensed. So this year, more than previous one’s, it is essential that not only do you enquire as to whether the company is licensed, but also ask for proof, it is not beyond the imagination, that a few operators will flout the new regulations and if they do it following the introduction of this new Act, then it is most unlikely that the passengers will be insured. In addition, VOSA target limousine going to and from Ascot, it is a racing certainly that following the introduction of the new Act, they will have an even higher presence and, of course, VOSA are entitled to and probably will impound any unlicensed limousine.

Another aspect to consider when hiring a limousine is the number of passengers that can legally carried. For limousine operators that are either ‘licensed for private hire’ by their local authority or, in the case of London, by the Public Carriage Office, the maximum is 8 passengers. This is not something that can be negotiated on a case by case basis, it is mandatory. Holders of a Public Service Vehicle Operators licence can carry more, if, and only if, the limo has a Certificate of Initial Fitness (CoIF) and then, only for the proscribed number on the certificate. The chauffeur must also have an appropriate PCV licence. Please note, that there are literally just a handful of limousines that have a CoIF, don’t risk travelling in a vehicle without this and, if the limo operator claims to have one, ask them for a copy of the certificate for the limo YOU will be hiring. Given the very limited number in the UK (probably less than 20), no-one will object. There is one other way that up to 16 passengers can be carried using self-drive hire and a ‘contracted in chauffeur’, this is a questionable practice, with many legal ramifications, but at the time of writing this post, the law has not been properly tested in the courts (it undoubtedly will), however, this topic will have to be covered in another post. In the meantime, the best advice is to steer well clear of anyone suggesting self-drive hire with a contracted in chauffeur.

Once you have short-listed you preferred company, received a detailed quotation, together with their terms and conditions and then established that they are a bona fide licensed limousine operator, you will then need to clarify exactly which limousine they are proposing. Do not be fobbed-off with library pictures, or “we don’t know at this stage” and especially, “we sub-contract the hire to a third party”., this is simply unacceptable. If the operator is prepared to take a deposit off you, then they, at the very least, must provide you with images (inside and out) of the actual limousine you will be hiring. If all these of points are satisfied, the chances are that you will have whittled your way down to one preferred company, then it is decision time. Provided you are happy with everything and they provide you a booking form (or email/letter) to sign which outlines precisely what has been agreed and the price, then you should be prepared to hand over your deposit. Typically this will be around 25-50%, with the balance due, up to 4 weeks prior to the hire date. When paying a deposit, particularly if it is a relatively large amount of money, make sure you use a credit card, which in the unlikely event that the service is not provided, or the company disappears, affords you some protection, given you will be in a position to attempt a claim against the card issuer.

So, in summary, here are the Top10 tips for hiring a limousine for Royal Ascot racing.

1. Book as early as practicable (this is a very busy time of year and demand always outstrips supply)

2. Use the internet to search and, take advantage of specialist directories that deal with limousines for hire

3. Aim for a short-list of 2 or 3 companies

4. Ask about any special Royal Ascot Packages (these will typically include marquee, chairs, table and Champagne)

5. Insist that you receive a detailed quotation in writing, including what is to be included in the price, the type of vehicle and a set of their terms and conditions)

6. Make sure that they are a correctly LICENSED LIMOUSINE OPERATOR. They must either be a ‘Public Service Vehicle Operator or be Licensed for Private Hire by their local authority (PCO in the case of London based operators)

7. Insist on knowing exactly which limousine you will be hiring, ask for images of the interior and exterior so that you can satisfy yourself that it is suitable and in good condition

8. Don’t allow yourself, or your party, to be carried in a vehicle that is carrying more passengers [typically a maximum of 8] than it is licensed for

9. Run a mile is anyone suggests a self-drive option to circumvent the rules – in relation to the requirement for a CoiF – where more than 8 passengers are going to be carried for hire and reward

10. Be prepared to pay a deposit of up to 50%, but pay by credit card for the additional security

 

A final friendly word of warning, if you subsequently cancel the hire, be prepared at the very least to lose your deposit, if it is a late cancellation, you could be liable for the full cost of the hire, even if you haven’t paid the balance. The reason most operators are strict on this policy is because they will almost certainly have turned down dozens of hire enquiries because their limo(s) were booked out.

 

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