Portsmouth councillor demands cross border licensing crackdown after worrying private hire incident
- Perry Richardson
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
A Portsmouth councillor has written to the Secretary of State for Transport demanding urgent reform of private hire licensing following a serious alleged incident involving a Wolverhampton-plated vehicle.
In a letter addressed to Heidi Alexander MP, Councillor George Madgwick highlighted the case of a local woman who was allegedly sexually approached by a private hire driver after leaving hospital at 2am. The vehicle was said to licensed by Wolverhampton Council and did not have in-car CCTV, which is a requirement for private hire vehicles in Portsmouth.
The woman has reported the incident to both the private hire operator and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary, which confirmed it was investigating.
Cllr Madgwick said the incident exposed a licensing loophole that has long been criticised by local authorities. Vehicles licensed in one part of the country are allowed to operate in other areas, even if they do not meet local safety standards. Councils like Portsmouth enforce stricter measures such as mandatory CCTV, vehicle age limits and background checks, but these protections become ineffective when vehicles licensed elsewhere enter their jurisdiction.
“This isn’t the first assault in a Wolverhampton car in our city and won’t be the last without real change,” said Cllr Madgwick.
In his letter, he urged the Government to implement three specific reforms: banning cross-border operation of private hire vehicles, setting national minimum safety standards, and empowering councils to refuse or restrict out-of-area vehicles.
The councillor stressed that the issue was not political, but one of public protection. He argued that national standards are needed to close gaps exploited by drivers and firms seeking to avoid stricter rules in places like Portsmouth.
The woman involved in the recent incident gave permission for her story to be shared in the hope of prompting change. Cllr Madgwick said it was a clear call for reform to ensure passengers are not left vulnerable due to inconsistent licensing.
