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Liverpool City Council brings taxi and PHV checks to Labour Party Conference highlighting cross-border licensing debate
Liverpool City Council’s licensing team carried out enforcement activity around the Labour Party Conference, held in the city last week. The council said checks found “compliance was generally high”, with delegates also giving positive feedback about journeys in licensed vehicles.
The council said the operation showed “how effective licensing helps deliver safe, reliable transport for everyone”. The accompanying photograph showed officers checking vehicles near the Kings Dock conference venue. The council did not publish figures on the number of vehicles checked, any breaches found or enforcement action taken.
The operation took place as cross-border working remains a prominent issue in the taxi and private hire sector. Drivers and vehicles can be licensed by one authority while carrying out pre-booked journeys in another area. The Department for Transport says such journeys can be made across local authority boundaries, although private hire drivers, vehicles and operators must be licensed by the same authority.
The political debate centres on routine “out-of-area” working, where drivers obtain a licence in one area but work mainly elsewhere. Critics argue that differences in local requirements can encourage licence shopping and make enforcement harder. The Government has said it wants to tackle inconsistent standards and improve passenger safety.
In June, the Commons Transport Committee called for a “clear plan” to reduce high levels of out-of-area working. Its report said the practice had undermined public confidence and made enforcement more difficult. The committee also warned that national minimum standards should not become “low by default”.
The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 provides for national taxi and private hire licensing standards, while the Government has outlined plans for further reform, including stronger enforcement powers and a national database of licensees. Ministers have also said they want to take action so operators and drivers are licensed where they intend to work.
Liverpool’s conference-week checks offer a local example of enforcement activity taking place amid that wider debate. However, the council’s post did not say whether the operation specifically targeted cross-border working or whether any vehicles were found operating outside their licensing conditions.
