Government REJECTS idea of Civil Servants helping authorities clear taxi and PHV licensing backlog

Government have rejected suggestions of Civil Servants being drafted into local councils to help clear taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) application backlogs facing some authorities.

The Government said it is up to the licensing authority to provide sufficient resources and training to process applications.

Julian Knight, a Conservative MP for Solihull, asked the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of allowing Civil Servants in his Department with relevant knowledge to be seconded to local licensing authorities to deal with the backlog in processing taxi and private hire vehicle licensing applications.

Richard Holden MP, DfT Minister, said: “The Department for Transport is responsible for setting the regulatory framework for the licensing of the taxi and private hire vehicle sectors. Local licensing authorities are responsible for processing licensing applications.

“The Department published the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards in 2020, providing guidance for licensing authorities. This states that licensing authorities should ensure that all individuals that determine whether a licence is issued or refused are adequately resourced to allow them to discharge the function effectively and correctly. These individuals that determine whether a licence is issued should be required to undertake sufficient training.”