11.—(1) There shall, subject to the prescribed exceptions, be exhibited on every vehicle which is chargeable with duty as a hackney carriage, in conjunction with the mark required under this Act to be fixed on the vehicle indicating the registered number of the vehicle, a distinctive sign indicating that the vehicle is a hackney carriage and the number of persons which the vehicle seats, and regulations made by the Minister under this Act shall provide for the sign to be so exhibited.

The penalties imposed by this Act in relation to the identification mark to be fixed to a vehicle shall apply to the sign to be exhibited under this provision as they apply to the identification mark so to be fixed.

(2) Where a licence has been taken out in respect of any vehicle at the rate of duty appropriate to a hackney carriage seating not more than a certain number of persons, the person keeping the vehicle shall, if it is used on any occasion for the purpose of seating more persons than the number aforesaid, be liable to an excise penalty of an amount equal to three times the difference between the duty actually paid on the licence and the duty payable on a licence for a vehicle being a hackney carriage seating that greater number of persons.

(3) Where not less than twelve vehicles of a similar type, being hackney carriages, and belonging to one owner, are registered with a county council, and the council is satisfied that one of those vehicles (hereinafter referred to as “the old vehicle”) has been destroyed or withdrawn permanently from use as a hackney carriage, the council shall, on issuing to that owner a licence in respect of another hackney carriage to be used for the same purpose as the old vehicle allow a rebate from the duty payable on that licence at the rate of one-quarter of the duty paid in respect of the licence for the old vehicle for every complete three months between the date when the old vehicle was destroyed or withdrawn, and the expiration of the licence for that vehicle, and, where any such rebate is so allowed, the licence for the old vehicle shall be forthwith cancelled.