INQUIRY EVIDENCE: Transport Committee to probe taxi and PHV licensing failings as next witnesses set to highlight gaps
- Perry Richardson
- 9 minutes ago
- 3 min read
MPs will hear detailed evidence this week on the state of taxi and private hire licensing in England, with one group containing four key organisations expected to raise serious shortcomings in safety, accessibility, enforcement and cross-border operation.
Emma Vogelmann from Transport for All, Saskia Garner from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, Councillor Arooj Shah from the Local Government Association, and James Button from the Institute of Licensing will appear before the Transport Committee. Their written submissions already set out what they believe needs urgent attention.
The session will look closely at whether England’s current patchwork of 270 licensing systems can continue without major reform. Witnesses from app-based firms will also be questioned later in the morning.
Transport for All is likely to focus heavily on accessibility. Its written evidence states that disabled passengers face inconsistent standards depending on where they travel, with some councils imposing robust rules while others set minimal requirements. It argues that cross-border licensing weakens local regulation, allowing drivers licensed under weaker conditions to operate in stricter areas. The group’s evidence highlights the low supply of wheelchair accessible vehicles, inconsistent training standards, and weak enforcement of the law on refusal of disabled passengers. They call for national requirements on Disability Equality Training, stronger enforcement, mandatory data collection on accessibility incidents, and national rules on complaints handling.
Passenger safety will be a major theme from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust. Their evidence outlines cases where drivers with violent or sexual offence histories have been granted licences despite enhanced DBS checks showing previous allegations or convictions. The Trust argues the current approach to assessing whether someone is a fit and proper person is inconsistent and leaves the public at risk. They are expected to push for a single statutory definition of “fit and proper”, robust national minimum standards, and a requirement for licensing authorities to consider non-conviction information where it shows patterns of concerning behaviour. They also highlight barriers in information-sharing between police and councils and the absence of taxi and PHV driving from the list of regulated activities, meaning barred individuals are not automatically prevented from applying for a licence.
The Local Government Association is expected to give a system-wide view of the pressures councils face. Their written evidence argues the licensing framework is outdated and no longer fit for purpose, with legislation dating back to the nineteenth century failing to keep pace with digital ride-hailing. The LGA is likely to call for a full Taxi and PHV Licensing Reform Bill, building on past work by the Law Commission and the Government’s own commitments to introduce national minimum standards, national enforcement powers and a national licensing database. The group points out that councils struggle to enforce standards against drivers licensed elsewhere, despite the extensive use of cross-border working. They also warn that moving licensing responsibilities to regional transport authorities would not solve the underlying issues and would cause significant upheaval.
The Institute of Licensing will underline the need for national standards covering suitability, vehicles, operators and enforcement. Their evidence stresses the problems caused by licence shopping, where drivers seek licences in areas perceived to have lower fees or lighter requirements. They argue that licensing officers should be able to regulate any taxi or PHV operating in their area, regardless of where it is licensed, and that this must be supported by appropriate funding. The Institute’s evidence also calls for statutory provision to make police information-sharing more reliable, consistent CCTV requirements across all licensed vehicles, and a complete overhaul of the outdated legislative framework. They warn that without national standards, inconsistency will continue to grow and public confidence will suffer.
Committee members are expected to press witnesses on how a national system could work, the impact on drivers, the cost to councils, and what transition arrangements would be required.
MPs will also explore the rise of digital ride-hailing, the quality of operator complaint processes, and how autonomous vehicles could be brought into regulation without undermining safety or accessibility.
This hearing is one of several containing key trade stakeholders, making it the most comprehensive examinations of taxi and private hire policy for several years. The weight of written evidence suggests a common theme: the system is fragmented, stretched, and no longer capable of delivering consistent protection for passengers or fair oversight for drivers.
