Over 20,000 Wolverhampton private driver licensed in two year period with vast majority living outside of the region, data reveals
- Perry Richardson
- 1 hour ago
- 1 min read
City of Wolverhampton Council has licensed over 20,000 private hire drivers and more than 27,000 private hire vehicles in just two years, according to new Freedom of Information data.
Between January 2023 and January 2025, a total of 20,789 private hire driver licences and 27,091 vehicle licences were issued by the council. The licensing activity generated £5.26 million in fees over the period.
However, the figures also highlight how few of these drivers and vehicles are actually based in Wolverhampton. Only 722 drivers and 1,250 vehicles listed a home address in the city. The vast majority — 20,067 drivers and 25,841 vehicles — were registered to addresses outside the council boundary.
This data again draws attention to Wolverhampton’s licensing approach, which has made it a central player in the national taxi and private hire debate. The city’s system allows drivers and operators based across the country to apply for licences, which can then be used to work in other areas.
Wolverhampton Council has previously argued that its online application process and fast turnaround make it an attractive option. The figures suggest that the model continues to attract significant interest from applicants nationwide.
To support this large-scale licensing, the council employs 109 licence enforcement officers. While the number is higher than in many local authorities, questions remain about how effectively cross-border enforcement is carried out when vehicles operate outside Wolverhampton.
The data will likely fuel continued discussion on reform of taxi and private hire licensing laws, particularly around cross-border operations and local authority jurisdiction.
