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Taxi and private hire drivers urged to help shape major licensing reforms as Bournemouth MP launches trade survey
- Perry Richardson
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Bournemouth East MP Tom Hayes has asked local taxi and private hire drivers to feed directly into his parliamentary work as the Government prepares a major overhaul of England’s licensing laws.
Taxi and private hire drivers are being invited to put forward their priorities for licensing reform as MPs begin engaging with the trade ahead of the Government’s planned Draft Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Bill.
Tom Hayes, Labour MP for Bournemouth East, said he recently hosted taxi and private hire drivers at St Saviour’s Church to discuss changes they would like to see as ministers develop new legislation.
Hayes said: “I recently hosted a meeting with taxi and private hire drivers at St Saviour’s Church to hear about the reforms they would recommend as the Government brings forward a draft law.”
He has also launched an online survey aimed at local licence holders, adding: “If you’re a local taxi or private hire driver, I’d like to hear from you. Your views will help shape my work in Parliament.”
The Government confirmed in the 2026 King’s Speech that it intends to bring forward a Draft Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Bill, describing the existing regulatory framework as outdated and fragmented. Ministers intend to create a more consistent framework across England, taking account of the growth of app-based booking and nationally operating private hire businesses.
The planned legislation is expected to address enforcement, information sharing, accessibility and the relationship between where vehicles are licensed and where they actually work. The Government has said enforcement funding should be better matched to where services are delivered, an issue with potentially significant consequences for councils dealing with large numbers of vehicles licensed elsewhere.
National licensing standards are already moving separately through the reform process. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026 gives the Transport Secretary powers to prescribe national standards covering drivers, vehicles and private hire operators. Those standards could extend to areas including applicants, existing licence holders, training, vehicle requirements and equipment. Councils will retain the ability to impose additional local requirements.
The indications are that secondary legislation setting those national standards is expected in 2027 and will be subject to public consultation. The Government is also using the reforms to respond to recommendations arising from safeguarding reviews, including proposals concerning drivers’ responsibilities to report significant criminal activity witnessed while working.
Cross-border and out-of-area working is likely to remain one of the most closely watched parts of the wider debate. Earlier this year, the DfT consulted on transferring licensing responsibility to England’s local transport authorities, which would have reduced the number of licensing bodies from 263 to around 70. Ministers argued that larger licensing areas could reduce opportunities for drivers and operators to obtain licences in one area while predominantly working somewhere else.
However, there is some disagreement over whether changing licensing boundaries would solve the underlying problem.
The key question for working drivers is therefore likely to be less about whether reform happens and more about what the new system ultimately asks of them. National consistency could remove some of the significant differences in requirements, costs and processes between neighbouring licensing authorities. But additional national requirements covering training, vehicles or compliance could equally create new costs if they are layered on top of existing local conditions rather than replacing duplication.
There’s also anargument that creating common standards does little to address competitive concerns if councils responsible for busy city centres cannot effectively regulate vehicles licensed hundreds of miles away. The 2026 Act has already strengthened cross-border powers by allowing licensing authorities to take temporary suspension action against licences issued elsewhere where there is a public safety reason.
For drivers, other issues could enter the debate during pre-legislative scrutiny, including licence fees, vehicle standards, medical and DBS requirements, training, accessibility obligations, processing times and the extent to which councils should retain powers to impose standards above the national baseline.
Hayes said his aim was to “help shape a fairer and safer licensing system that works for everyone”. His request for direct feedback gives drivers an opportunity to put those operational concerns before an MP while the detail of the next phase of reform remains open to political and industry scrutiny.
The Draft Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Bill is due to undergo pre-legislative scrutiny during the current parliamentary session, allowing MPs, industry organisations, licensing authorities and other stakeholders to examine the proposals before final legislation is introduced.
