TACKLING CROSS BORDER: Can Prime Minister Andy Burnham finally deliver the taxi licensing reforms he spent years calling for?

For years, Andy Burnham was one of the most vocal political figures calling for changes to England’s taxi and private hire licensing system. As Mayor of Greater Manchester, he repeatedly argued that the current framework was failing both licensed drivers and the travelling public, particularly when it came to cross-border private hire working.

Now, as Prime Minister, Burnham finds himself in a very different position.

The concerns he previously raised from outside Westminster can now be addressed from inside Downing Street. Whether that translates into legislation, however, remains far from certain.

Cross-border licensing has become one of the most divisive issues within the taxi and private hire industry. Under current legislation, a private hire vehicle and driver licensed by one local authority can legally undertake bookings in another authority, provided the booking is accepted by a licensed operator.

Over the last decade, the rapid growth of licensing authorities issuing licences to drivers living hundreds of miles away has fuelled increasing concern among councils and drivers. Greater Manchester has frequently highlighted Wolverhampton as an example, with thousands of drivers licensed there operating daily across other parts of England.

While Burnham served as Mayor, he repeatedly argued the system had become unsustainable.

He called for powers to prevent what he described as large numbers of out-of-area licensed drivers working permanently in Greater Manchester, maintaining that local authorities should have greater control over the vehicles operating within their communities.

Those concerns have since been echoed by councils across England, licensing authorities, trade bodies and many within both the taxi and private hire sectors.

The issue has also moved further up the national political agenda. The House of Commons Transport Select Committee recently examined taxi and private hire licensing as part of a wide-ranging inquiry into the future of the sector. Cross-border working formed a significant part of the evidence submitted by councils, industry organisations and operators, with witnesses highlighting concerns around enforcement, public confidence and regulatory consistency.

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Several organisations have also argued that national minimum licensing standards could help reduce the differences between authorities that encourage drivers to seek licences outside the areas where they work.

However, reform is unlikely to be straightforward.

Any significant change would almost certainly require amendments to existing legislation governing taxi and private hire licensing in England.

There are also competing views across the industry. Many taxi drivers argue that local licensing should mean local working, helping councils enforce standards more effectively and ensuring drivers are accountable to the communities they serve.

Some private hire operators, meanwhile, argue that the existing framework provides flexibility for businesses and drivers while allowing operators to meet passenger demand across wider geographic areas. They have warned that major restrictions could reduce vehicle availability, increase waiting times and create unintended consequences for both passengers and drivers.

Burnham will also have to balance wider transport priorities competing for parliamentary time. Economic growth, infrastructure investment, public transport funding and broader devolution issues are all likely to feature prominently on the Government’s agenda.

That means taxi reform, while important to the industry, will need to compete alongside many other legislative priorities.

The Prime Minister’s previous statements have nevertheless created expectations within the trade. TaxiPoint readers responding to Burnham’s appointment repeatedly referred back to his earlier campaigning. Some questioned whether he would now follow through on the promises made while leading Greater Manchester, while others suggested the issue may become less prominent now that his responsibilities extend across the whole country.

Burnham’s success on taxi policy will not be measured by speeches or interviews. Drivers have heard political commitments before and have worked through what has largely been a decade of talking and little action, when it comes to meaningful legislative change. What many now want to see is draft legislation and reforms that tackle long-standing concerns around cross-border licensing, national standards and enforcement.

As Prime Minister, Andy Burnham now has something he did not have as Mayor: the opportunity to influence national law.

Whether that opportunity results in the most significant overhaul of taxi and private hire licensing for decades may become one of the defining tests of his relationship with the trade.