National Taxi Association urges Government to halt cross-border hiring and rethink 2015 deregulation
- Perry Richardson
- Sep 29
- 2 min read
The National Taxi Association (NTA) has called for decisive action to end cross-border hiring and for parts of the Deregulation Act 2015 covering taxis and private hire vehicles to be rescinded.
In written evidence submitted in September to the Transport Select Committee, the NTA argues local licensing should remain the foundation of the trade, with councils best placed to set policy for their areas.
The NTA says the current mix of national guidance and local discretion is producing uneven results. The growth of large unitary authorities, such as North Yorkshire and Durham, has reduced local licensing capacity and created “honeypot” zones that draw vehicles into a few busy districts while other communities lose coverage. The association links these structural changes to weaker enforcement where staffing has fallen.
On zoning, the NTA backs the Law Commission’s 2014 recommendation for flexible powers to introduce or remove taxi zones within a district, subject to consultation and a public interest test. Current law does not allow authorities to re-zone once areas have been de-zoned, which the NTA wants changed for unitary councils.
The association highlights operational delays that push applicants to look elsewhere for licences. Long waits for vehicle tests and driver approvals in some districts leave drivers unable to work. The NTA says authorities should guarantee timescales for driver licences and ensure test station capacity matches the number of licensed vehicles.
On safety and oversight, the submission references Baroness Casey’s June 2025 recommendation that the Department for Transport take immediate action to stop out-of-area taxis and tighten statutory standards. The NTA believes local authorities already have sufficient powers for the licensees they issue but cannot regulate those licensed elsewhere, which is where the system is failing.
To address cross-border hiring, the NTA sets out two steps. First, make applicants declare the intended area of use and refuse or revoke licences where vehicles mainly work outside the issuing district, focusing on a right to roam rather than a right to stay. Second, consider the Scottish model under section 21 of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 and associated best practice on cross-border controls.
The NTA supports strong and consistent national baselines on driver fitness and propriety, medicals and DBS checks, while keeping vehicle policy responsive to local conditions. It cites examples where local colour policies help passengers distinguish between hackney carriages and private hire, noting that out-of-area vehicles can undermine those measures.
Digital ride-hailing platforms, says the NTA, should be required to geofence areas of operation to prevent operators and drivers shopping for the lowest standards. Without that, drivers who meet stricter local rules face unfair competition from those licensed under lighter regimes elsewhere.
On enforcement funding, the NTA notes licensing is intended to be cost neutral and paid for by local fees. When drivers license elsewhere but work locally, resident licensees shoulder enforcement costs while out-of-area vehicles benefit, weakening the model.
Complaints handling is said to remain inconsistent. Some councils restrict face-to-face access or respond slowly to emails, while passengers often complain first to operators. Complaints become harder when a vehicle is licensed outside the area where it was hired, according to the NTA.
