Crawley Council proposes single driver application for dual licence covering taxi and private hire
- Perry Richardson
- 14 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Crawley Borough Council is proposing to introduce a new dual taxi driver licence that would allow drivers to apply for both hackney carriage and private hire licences through a single application process.
The proposal is aimed at modernising the authority’s licensing framework by reducing duplication and administrative burden, while keeping all existing safety, knowledge and training requirements in place. Under the plan, drivers would still be required to meet the standards associated with both licence types.
At present, drivers in Crawley who want to operate both as hackney carriage drivers and private hire drivers must complete two separate applications, pay two sets of fees and progress through parallel licensing processes. The council says this approach creates unnecessary complexity for both applicants and licensing officers.
More than 100 drivers in the borough currently hold both hackney carriage and private hire badges under the existing system. The council argues that combining the two into a single licence would better reflect how many drivers already work across both sectors.
Council says dual badge system would streamline licensing while retaining full testing and safety standards
While the application process would be merged, the council has stressed that there would be no reduction in standards. Applicants for the dual licence would still need to pass all relevant knowledge tests, training modules and checks required for each licence type before being granted approval.
The move follows a broader trend among local authorities to review taxi and private hire licensing structures in response to changes in working patterns and pressure to improve efficiency within licensing teams. Councils are also facing increasing scrutiny over how they balance regulatory oversight with administrative costs.
Councillor Yasmin Khan, Crawley Borough Council Cabinet member for Public Protection, said: “We want to make it easier for our hard-working taxi drivers to expand their business. This proposal is about making our licensing system simpler for drivers, while keeping all of our high safety and compliance standards firmly in place. By introducing a single dual licence, we can reduce unnecessary duplication for taxi drivers so that they can get on and take bookings.”
