‘IT’S TIME THE SYSTEM CHANGED’: York and North Yorkshire Mayor backs Burnham’s push for reformed taxi licensing
- Perry Richardson
- May 6
- 2 min read
The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, has announced his support for Andy Burnham’s campaign to reform England’s taxi licensing system.
Skaith said passengers, businesses and visitors should expect safer, more consistent standards when using taxis. He backed Burnham’s push for change, calling for a clearer, more accountable system.
The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, has launched a campaign titled 'Backing our taxis: Local. Licensed. Trusted.' to tackle what he describes as a broken licensing system. Central to the issue is the rise in private hire vehicles licensed outside the areas where they operate. Figures show nearly half of Greater Manchester’s private hire fleet is now licensed outside its ten councils, weakening local oversight.
Burnham wants the Government’s English Devolution Bill to hand taxi licensing powers to Mayoral Combined Authorities. He says local leaders need control over safety, vehicle standards and driver accountability to restore trust and raise standards.
He also aims to replicate the success of the Bee Network buses by ensuring that taxis across Greater Manchester meet uniform requirements. Burnham says that without reform, mayors have no say over thousands of vehicles operating in their regions, no ability to investigate incidents effectively, and no way to manage the number of drivers on the streets.
One major concern is the rapid growth of licences issued by Wolverhampton City Council, now covering over 11% of England’s private hire vehicles. Burnham argues this trend cuts local councils out of the process, allowing drivers to operate in areas with no link to local standards or enforcement.
The campaign also calls for more support for drivers transitioning to greener, accessible vehicles. Proposals include extending VAT exemptions and grants, and reviewing electric vehicle charging costs.
Skaith’s support adds weight to growing calls from regional leaders for more local control over taxis. He joins those pressing for legislative change to bring licensing back in line with local accountability and safety.
The Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, David Skaith, told TaxiPoint: “Our residents, businesses and visitors should be able to expect safe travel and consistent high standards when they take a taxi. That’s why I’m backing Andy Burnham’s campaign for fairer, clearer licensing rules - it’s time the system changed.”
