CROSS-BORDER CONCERNS: Cheshire East councillors to debate taxi licensing overhaul and write to Wolverhampton
- Perry Richardson
- 1 hour ago
- 3 min read
Cheshire East councillors are set to debate a motion calling for sweeping changes to England’s taxi licensing system, arguing that current cross-border licensing arrangements leave gaps in safeguarding and limit the council’s ability to regulate vehicles operating within the borough.
The motion, submitted by Councillor Allen Gage and seconded by Councillor Reg Kain ahead of the full council meeting on 15 July, cites Baroness Casey’s 2025 national review into group-based child sexual exploitation.
It states that the report identified taxis as having been “used as a conduit and method for the systemic and organised rape of many thousands of young and vulnerable girls across the UK”. The motion adds: “We have no desire to politicise this issue beyond what has already occurred on a national basis, we simply wish to raise concern.”
The proposal also points to the findings of Operation Sanctuary in Northumbria, launched in 2014, which resulted in 97 drivers being convicted, 640 victims being identified and 220 child abduction warning notices being issued. It argues that more recent convictions involving taxi drivers continue to raise concerns around safeguarding.
A key focus of the motion is the ability of drivers licensed by one local authority to legally operate in another. Councillors argue that while Cheshire East carries out safeguarding checks on the drivers it licenses and its Licensing Committee has powers to suspend or revoke those licences, those powers do not extend to drivers licensed elsewhere.
The motion states: “Currently, drivers licenced in one local authority can operate cross-region. This creates a regulatory gap and can lead to various issues including public safety.” It goes on to say: “This is not possible if a taxi driver is licensed by another authority.”
Referring to Baroness Casey’s recommendations, the motion notes that one of her proposals was the immediate closure of what it describes as the cross-border licensing loophole. It adds: “Almost a year later nothing has happened.”
The document also references comments made by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who has said around 9,000 Wolverhampton-licensed drivers currently operate within Greater Manchester. It says comparable figures for Cheshire East are unknown but believes the practice is widespread across the borough. The motion argues that cross-county licensing “makes a mockery of safeguarding” by creating “grey areas in the law that act as shadows for those who wish to act with unscrupulous intent”.
If approved, the motion would see the Leader of Cheshire East Council and the Chair of the Licensing Committee write to the Secretary of State for Transport and the Safeguarding Minister, calling for legislation requiring drivers to hold a personal licence in every top-tier local authority where they wish to collect passengers.
The motion also proposes that Cheshire East formally thanks “each and every taxi driver operating in the borough whom is licenced in the borough”, recognising the role of locally licensed drivers.
In addition, councillors are asking the Licensing Committee to examine a policy introduced by Lichfield District Council that requires drivers licensed by another authority to inform prospective customers before a booking is confirmed that both the driver and vehicle are licensed elsewhere.
The final element of the motion would see Cheshire East’s Head of Licensing write to Wolverhampton City Council seeking delegated enforcement powers. The proposal notes that several local authorities have already secured legal agreements allowing them to inspect, test and, where necessary, suspend Wolverhampton-licensed vehicles operating within their areas under existing legislation.
The motion will be debated when Cheshire East Council meets on 15 July. If supported by councillors, it would commit the authority to lobbying the Government for changes to national taxi licensing legislation while pursuing additional local measures aimed at strengthening enforcement and safeguarding.
