Government defends current Wolverhampton taxi and PHV safeguarding standards amid national licensing reform plans
- Perry Richardson
- 7 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The UK Government has stated that the safeguarding standards used by City of Wolverhampton Council for licensing taxi and private hire drivers align with national expectations, as ministers continue work on wider reforms to standardise rules across England.
In a written parliamentary response published, Lilian Greenwood said the council does apply recommended safeguarding measures, including enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service checks and ongoing monitoring of driver criminality.
The response followed questions raised in the House of Commons by Justin Madders, who asked what assessment had been made of Wolverhampton’s approach to safeguarding within its taxi and private hire licensing system.
Greenwood pointed to the Department for Transport’s statutory guidance, which sets out expectations for all licensing authorities to protect vulnerable passengers. This includes requiring enhanced DBS checks and checks against barred lists as part of the licensing process.
Department for Transport says council meets key safety checks as wider reforms aim to tackle inconsistencies across England
According to the Department, Wolverhampton has confirmed that it not only applies these checks but also carries out automated daily criminality monitoring of licensed drivers. This continuous vetting approach is designed to identify any new risks that may emerge after a licence has been granted.
The Government also confirmed that it is undertaking a broader review of safeguarding practices across England. Data from a 2026 survey of licensing authorities, including details on local safeguarding policies, is due to be published in the summer and is expected to provide further insight into variations between councils.
The issue of consistency remains a central concern for policymakers and industry stakeholders, particularly given the growth of cross-border licensing, where drivers are licensed by one authority but operate in another area. Wolverhampton has been one of the most prominent licensing authorities in this space due to the scale of licences it issues nationally.
To address these disparities, the Government is progressing legislation through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill. The Bill includes provisions that would grant the Secretary of State powers to introduce national minimum standards for taxi and private hire licensing.
The proposed powers have already been approved by the House of Commons and are currently under consideration in the House of Lords. If enacted, they would allow ministers to impose consistent safeguarding requirements across all licensing authorities in England.
Greenwood said: “The Department’s statutory guidance sets out a robust set of measures that taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities should act on to safeguard the most vulnerable in society. This recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers to undertake an enhanced DBS and barred lists check as part of its licensing processes. The City of Wolverhampton Council has advised that it requires this important safeguard and carries out automated criminality checks on a daily basis.
“We undertake regular surveys of all licensing authorities to better understand how all licensing authorities ensure the safety of their passengers. Data from the Department’s 2026 survey of licensing authorities in England, which includes details on safeguarding polices, will be published in summer.
“The Government is legislating to tackle inconsistencies in taxi and PHV licensing. As a first step, the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill seeks a power for the Secretary of State to set national minimum standards. The power was approved by the House of Commons, and the Bill is now being considered by the House of Lords. If passed, this would enable government to set robust standards for licensing right across England, to keep vulnerable children and, indeed, all members of the public safe, wherever they live or travel.”
