Eastleigh District Council records 36 suspensions in latest taxi and private hire enforcement report
- Perry Richardson
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
Eastleigh District Council has recorded 125 enforcement outcomes across its taxi and private hire licensing function between 27 June 2025 and 31 January 2026, with suspensions accounting for the largest share of formal action.
According to a report prepared for the Transport Forum, 36 suspensions were issued during the reporting period, making it the most frequently applied sanction. The council states that this “reflects circumstances where immediate action was required to ensure public safety, regulatory compliance”. For drivers and operators, suspension represents an immediate interruption to trading activity and income.
A further 32 cases resulted in No Further Action. The report attributes these outcomes to factors including “early resolution achieved”, “insufficient evidence”, matters “below enforcement threshold”, or cases involving “non-EBC licensed drivers or vehicles”. The figures indicate that a significant proportion of complaints or investigations do not progress to formal sanction, reflecting evidential thresholds and jurisdictional limits.
Advice and Noted for Information outcomes accounted for 15 cases each, totalling 30 interventions of a less formal nature. The council notes this reflects the “continued use of proportionate and educative interventions where appropriate”. Such measures are typically deployed where compliance can be secured without escalating to suspension or revocation.
125 enforcement outcomes logged alongside 562 licence applications in seven-month period
Six revocations were recorded during the period, covering five drivers and one vehicle. The report describes revocation as “the most serious enforcement action” and confirms it was applied “only where concerns regarding fitness and propriety could not be mitigated through lesser measures”. In regulatory terms, fitness and propriety remains the central test for continued licensing.
One driving assessment was required over the seven months. The council says these were “used sparingly and in a targeted manner, limited to cases where driving competency was a specific concern”, suggesting assessments remain a corrective rather than routine compliance tool.
Alongside enforcement activity, the authority processed 562 licence applications. New applications included 10 Hackney Carriage Drivers, 47 Private Hire Drivers and 39 Restricted Private Hire Drivers. There were also five new Private Hire Operator applications, 48 Private Hire Vehicle applications and five Restricted Private Hire Vehicle applications.
Renewals represented a substantial proportion of the overall caseload, including 98 Hackney Carriage renewals and 148 Private Hire Vehicle renewals, alongside driver and operator renewals across categories. The council also handled change of vehicle applications and four Hackney Carriage transfer applications during the reporting window.
