Crawley taxi and private hire vehicles set for new look, roof light changes and card payments from 2026

Passengers in Crawley will start to notice visible changes to the town’s licensed taxis from next April as the council introduces new livery rules and payment options.

Under updates agreed by the Licensing Committee, all private hire and hackney carriage vehicles will move to new branding that removes roof boxes and most external signage. The changes aim to modernise the fleet’s appearance and make it easier for passengers to distinguish between different types of licensed vehicle.

Private hire cars will no longer display top boxes or door stickers, while those operating from Gatwick Airport will switch from teal rear plates to yellow, matching the airport’s current colour scheme. Hackney carriage taxis will adopt a revised permanent design featuring Crawley Borough Council branding.

The new policy also makes it compulsory for every licensed vehicle to accept electronic payments. From April 2026, all taxis and private hire vehicles must provide passengers with the option to pay by card or contactless in addition to cash. The move is intended to reflect changing travel habits and improve convenience for both residents and visitors.

Licensing officers said the new rules will help align Crawley with national best practice and other local authorities. Drivers will be given time to adapt before enforcement begins, with the formal rollout period beginning next spring.

Committee members said the measures would modernise the trade and improve customer experience, particularly at Gatwick where passengers often expect to pay electronically.

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There’s also one most significant change that will see all Crawley-licensed taxis and private hire vehicles fitted with CCTV systems by October 2027. Recordings will activate automatically when the vehicle engine is switched on and remain active until it is turned off. Both drivers and passengers will have access to panic buttons to trigger audio recording in emergencies.

Committee members discussed privacy concerns raised by trade representatives, including the Crawley Hackney Carriage Association and Unite the Union. Drivers argued that the systems could intrude on personal privacy and impose high installation costs. Officers confirmed that data would be tightly controlled, with access limited to trained staff and all footage deleted after 31 days unless required for investigation.

The council will act as data controller and prepare a full Data Protection Impact Assessment before rollout. A two-year lead-in period will allow a procurement process to secure best value and explore rental options for drivers.