DfT will legislate to address inconsistent taxi/PH licensing standards

The UK Government has confirmed plans to reform taxi licensing arrangements following Baroness Casey of Blackstock’s National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, published on 16 June.

Responding to a written question from Lord Spellar, Minister of State Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill stated that the Department for Transport will legislate to address inconsistent standards in the licensing of taxi and private hire vehicle drivers. He said all options will be considered, including tackling the issue of out-of-area working, introducing national standards, and strengthening enforcement, with passenger safety as the primary concern.

In advance of legislation, interim measures will be introduced. These include consulting on proposals that would transfer responsibility for taxi and private hire licensing to local transport authorities and evaluating how existing statutory guidance might be reinforced to better safeguard the public. Authorities’ compliance with current guidance is under review, with non-compliance subject to accountability.

Lord Hendy also highlighted protections already in place, including mandatory background checks for all licensed drivers across England and the use of a unified licensing database since 2023. This database prevents individuals who have been refused a licence on safety grounds in one area from obtaining one elsewhere. He cautioned that any changes must be carefully considered to avoid reducing access to properly vetted services or unintentionally encouraging illegal operators who bypass licensing checks.