‘I HAVE NOT GIVEN UP’: Burnham criticises Government for dropping bid to curb out of area taxi and private hire working
- Perry Richardson
- 25 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Greater Manchester’s Mayor Andy Burnham has criticised ministers for removing an amendment that could have laid the groundwork for restricting out of area taxi and private hire vehicle operations, a practice he has campaigned against for several years.
The Government decision comes as it presses ahead with separate national minimum standards for the sector following recommendations in Baroness Casey’s audit.
Out of area working has become a prominent issue in Greater Manchester, where close to half of all private hire vehicles operating across the city region are licensed elsewhere. Wolverhampton’s licensing authority alone accounts for more than one in ten PHV licences in England, creating longstanding concerns about safeguarding consistency and enforcement capacity.
Burnham had backed an amendment to the Devolution Bill tabled by Heywood and Middleton North MP Elsie Blundell, which he believed could have opened the door to tighter controls. The Government’s decision to drop the amendment means there will be no immediate pathway to an outright ban, although national standards covering safety and accessibility are still expected to be introduced.
Greater Manchester’s mayor says the decision to block an amendment targeting out of area working risks weakening the impact of upcoming national licensing reforms.
Speaking to BBC Radio Manchester, Burnham said the move falls short of what is needed to address a loophole highlighted by Baroness Casey in her summer report into group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse. He argued that inconsistent licensing conditions between authorities create risks that cannot be fully addressed without tackling cross border operations.
Burnham said: “It’s not just me that’s perhaps not being heard, Baroness Casey in her report of the summer in relation to child sexual exploitation said very clearly this was a loophole that had to be closed down.”
The mayor emphasised that he will continue to push for change as the legislation moves through Parliament. He plans to identify a member of the House of Lords willing to table a revised amendment when the Bill reaches the upper chamber, keeping the issue in play as political scrutiny intensifies.
Burnham told radio hosts: “I have not given up. This bill is not through Parliament. It has to go to the Lords yet. I am seeking to identify a member of the House of Lords to take an amendment forward.”
Burnham said that most drivers across the city region support his stance and that momentum is growing among other combined authorities. Leaders in Liverpool and Sheffield are among those expressing interest in coordinated pressure for national action, reflecting frustration across several urban areas with the scale of cross boundary working.
The government’s wider reforms, including proposed national minimum standards and a consultation on reducing the number of licensing authorities, are expected to continue. However, for regions like Greater Manchester, the absence of measures addressing out of area working leaves a significant gap in the emerging framework.
