Minister responds to latest call to review out-of-area taxi licensing as MP highlights local authority cross border struggles
- Perry Richardson
- Jul 9
- 3 min read
Concerns over out-of-town taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing have been raised in Parliament, prompting the Government to confirm it is reviewing enforcement and safeguarding standards in the sector.
Labour MP Karl Turner is the latest MP to question the Department for Transport (DfT) on the impact of drivers operating outside the areas in which they are licensed. He asked what measures are being taken to support local authorities faced with the growing challenge of cross border operations.
In response, Transport Minister Simon Lightwood said the Government is considering legislative changes to tackle the problem, with public safety and effective enforcement at the centre of the review.
Lightwood acknowledged findings from Baroness Casey’s recent report on child sexual exploitation. He said the DfT will act on the recommendations, aiming to create consistently high safeguarding standards without reducing access to services relied on by vulnerable users, including women, girls and disabled passengers.
The issue of drivers operating outside their licensing areas has become a key concern for councils. While current legislation passed in 2022 requires licensing authorities to share safety concerns with the authority that issued a driver’s licence, enforcement remains complex when drivers cross council boundaries.
DfT guidance encourages licensing teams to work together and with local police. The guidance also allows councils to authorise officers from other authorities to carry out enforcement checks on out-of-area drivers. However, local authorities often report limited resources and inconsistent coordination.
To address this, the 2023 Best Practice Guidance promotes the use of the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme (CSAS). This scheme grants licensing officers, with police approval, powers to stop vehicles and inspect licensing conditions. Failure to comply can lead to criminal investigation.
The Government is also reviewing whether licensing powers should be shifted to local transport authorities. This would be part of a broader look at national standards and enforcement practices to better support local enforcement efforts.
Lightwood said: “Since coming into Government, I have been actively looking at safeguarding in relation to taxis and private hire vehicles. I welcome the work by Baroness Casey in her audit of group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse and her report adds valuable evidence to my department’s ongoing work.
“The Government will legislate to address the issues raised in the report and there are two outcomes I am clear we must achieve; the first is ensuring we have consistently high safeguarding standards and the second is that there is no unintended reduction in the availability of taxi and private hire vehicle services, which could disproportionately impact women and girls and disabled people, who rely on these services the most. That is why we are considering all options – including out-of-area working, national standards, enforcement and transferring licensing to local transport authorities.
“Public safety is an utmost priority, and both the Government and licensing authorities have an important role in the effective regulation of the sector in England.
“Legislation passed in 2022 places a requirement on licensing authorities in England to share safeguarding, road safety or equality concerns about drivers with the authority that issued the licence. The authority that issued the licence must then consider whether to suspend or revoke the driver’s licence and must inform the authority that raised the concerns of their decision.
“Statutory guidance, published by the Department for Transport in 2020, is clear that licensing authorities should, where the need arises, jointly authorise officers from other authorities so that compliance and enforcement action can be taken against licensees from outside their area. The same guidance also highlights that working in partnership with the police is vital for licensing authorities to share information as quickly as possible.
“Best Practice Guidance issued in 2023 highlights how the Community Safety Accreditation Scheme can be used to increase the powers licensing enforcement officers have available. Officers authorised by the chief constables of their local force can be given powers to stop vehicles for inspection, testing and verification of licensing conditions, and the power to demand the name and address of the driver. If a driver fails to stop when directed by a CSAS-trained officer, it is a criminal offence and can be reported to the police for investigation and action.
“Licensing authorities can also to carry out joint operations with other authorities and their local police force.”
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