Government remains ‘committed’ to delivering national minimum standards for Taxi and PHV industry

The Government remains ‘committed’ to the idea of delivering national minimum standards for Taxi and PHV industry says minister.

The Shadow Minister for Transport, Simon Lightwood MP, recently inquired about the progress made by the Department for Transport (DfT) in implementing national minimum standards for taxi and private hire vehicles.

In response, Guy Opperman MP, a Minister from the DfT, highlighted the steps taken by the Government to support licensing authorities in England in setting consistent standards.

According to Opperman, the Government published the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards in 2020, which included statutory guidance. These standards primarily focused on safeguarding measures to protect vulnerable individuals, including children, although the benefits extend to all passengers.

In a positive move to ensure high safety and accessibility standards, the Government issued updated Best Practice Guidance on 17 November 2023. This step follows a consultation process aimed at aligning licensing issues consistently, beyond the scope of the statutory guidance.

Opperman said: “The Government has taken action to support taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England to use their existing powers to set consistent licensing standards. The Government published the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards in 2020, statutory guidance, which focus on safeguarding standards to protect children and vulnerable adults, although the measures benefit all passengers. On 17 November 2023 the Government issued updated Best Practice Guidance, following consultation, which seeks to drive consistency on licensing issues outside of the scope of the statutory guidance and maintaining high standards of safety and accessibility.

“The Government remains committed to legislating for national minimum standards when Parliamentary time allows. The guidance already issued would be a natural starting point when setting future legislation.”