Broxbourne taxi operator calls for action over ‘unfair’ cross-border competition

A Broxbourne private hire operator has called for taxi and private hire licensing fees to be frozen or reduced amid concerns that local drivers are losing work to national booking platforms and vehicles licensed outside the borough.

TaxiPoint has obtained a copy of the letter sent by Flex Taxis Ltd to local MP Lewis Cocking, seeking political and regulatory action. The company wants an independent assessment of conditions across the borough’s taxi and private hire sector.

The operator said some local drivers and businesses had reported substantial falls in earnings while continuing to meet rising fuel, insurance, vehicle finance, maintenance and licensing costs. Those claims have not been independently assessed across the wider Broxbourne trade.

Under existing cross-border private hire rules, a journey can take place entirely within Broxbourne even when the driver, vehicle and operator are licensed elsewhere, provided the booking is accepted through an appropriately licensed private hire operator.

Flex Taxis argues that this leaves businesses regulated by Broxbourne Borough Council competing for the same passengers as national platforms and out-of-area licence holders operating under different local licensing arrangements.

A Flex Taxis spokesperson said: “We are not asking for protection from competition. Competition is healthy when it takes place on fair and comparable terms.

“Our concern is that local drivers and operators pay Broxbourne licensing fees, comply with the Council’s requirements and remain accountable to the local licensing authority, while competing for the same customers with operators and drivers licensed outside the borough. The market has changed significantly, but the local licensing and regulatory response does not appear to have changed with it.”

The operator said the effect may be particularly pronounced in a relatively small licensing area with a limited customer base. It believes the growth of app-based services has increased competition for telephone, online and pre-booked journeys.

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Flex Taxis also raised concerns about the practical use of Broxbourne Borough Council’s approved hackney carriage tariff. It said passengers can compare the metered fare with private hire prices displayed through booking apps, leaving taxi drivers under pressure to charge less than the approved rate to retain work.

The spokesperson said: “A self-employed driver licensed by Broxbourne cannot always charge the official rate and remain competitive when a customer can see a lower app-based price within seconds.

“Drivers are therefore often forced to charge below the Council-approved tariff simply to secure the booking, even though the cost of providing the service continues to rise.”

The company said that although more than three taxi ranks have been designated within the borough, limited face-to-face hiring demand means that commercially meaningful rank-based work is largely concentrated at one location. This leaves drivers increasingly dependent on telephone, online and other pre-booked journeys provided through operators, where competition from larger platforms and out-of-area vehicles is strongest. Hackney carriage drivers who are not connected to an operator may find it particularly difficult to obtain sufficient bookings.

Flex Taxis has asked Broxbourne Borough Council to consider freezing or reducing all fees associated with local taxi and private hire licensing. It argues that Broxbourne’s limited local market is now shared with Uber, other national booking platforms and out-of-area licence holders. The company accepts that fee reductions would not resolve the wider cross-border issue, but says they could provide short-term financial relief while broader reforms are considered.

The operator has also warned that prolonged pressure on earnings could reduce the availability of locally based transport. It said older and disabled passengers, hospital patients, schoolchildren, shift workers and residents in areas with limited public transport could be affected if experienced drivers cut their hours or leave the industry.

Flex Taxis wants Cocking to meet representatives from the local trade and raise the matter with the council, the Department for Transport and Parliament. Its requests include consultation with drivers, operators and passengers, better evidence gathering and a national review of the cross-border hiring framework.

Although the national consultation, ‘Local transport authorities and the licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles’, closed on 1 April 2026, Flex Taxis said it did not appear to address fully the particular difficulties facing smaller licensing areas such as Broxbourne. These areas have a limited local customer market that is increasingly shared with national online platforms and drivers licensed by authorities elsewhere. The company therefore wants Lewis Cocking MP to raise this issue with the Local Transport Minister so that it can be considered when the Government reviews the consultation responses and determines its next steps.

The company said its request was not intended to restrict technology, passenger choice or the lawful operation of national platforms.

The spokesperson added: “This is not an argument against technology, customer choice or national booking platforms. It is a request for fair competition and a licensing system that recognises the economic realities facing local drivers.”