REVEALED: MPs to begin hearing oral evidence in taxi and private hire licensing inquiry next week
- Perry Richardson
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
MPs will begin hearing oral evidence on the regulation of taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) in England on Wednesday 15 October, as part of a fresh inquiry by the Transport Select Committee. The session is scheduled to take place from 9.15am to midday at the Houses of Parliament.
The inquiry will examine whether current licensing rules across local authorities are fit for purpose and whether the public is being served effectively in terms of safety, accessibility and service quality.
MPs are expected to explore inconsistencies in licensing between different councils, the growing concern around cross-border working, and the role of digital ride-hailing platforms in shaping current standards. The inquiry will also look into how effective current safeguarding practices are and whether greater national standardisation of licensing could be a workable solution.
Submissions have been received from a wide range of industry stakeholders, including Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), Uber, Licensed Private Hire Car Association (LPHCA), Transport for All, and local licensing authorities. These responses reflect differing views on how the system is currently working and what changes, if any, are required.
The role of the National Register for Revocations, Refusals and Suspensions (NR3S) will also be assessed. Questions have been raised over whether the tool is being used widely enough to support consistent decision-making across the country.
Other areas to be explored include the effectiveness of complaints systems for both passengers and drivers, and how the introduction of autonomous vehicles might impact licensing in the future.
This will be the first oral evidence session in the inquiry, which follows a period of written evidence submissions. The session is open to the public and will be broadcast on Parliament TV.
What to expect on 15 October
During the hearing, MPs will question witnesses on these themes and probe contradictions or gaps raised in written evidence. They may seek to surface real‑world examples where cross‑border licensing has caused issues, or where complaints systems failed passengers or drivers.
The oral evidence session will help set the tone for the inquiry, refine where follow‑up questions should go, and identify which areas merit deeper investigation. It will also provide a public forum to hold operators, regulators and associations to account.
What prompted the inquiry and key themes emerging
Transport Committee Chair Ruth Cadbury MP warned that a “patchwork” of standards now applies across England. Local licensing bodies, operating under shared statutory guidance, have diverged in how they set safety, accessibility and conduct requirements.
A particularly stark example is Wolverhampton City Council, which has issued 96 per cent of its taxi/PHV licences to drivers living outside its area. In Greater Manchester, more than 9,000 Wolverhampton‑licensed drivers are based locally, raising questions around cross‑border regulation.
The inquiry coincides with momentum from other quarters. For instance, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority has called for licensing powers to be devolved to mayoral or regional transport bodies.
