TAXI LICENSING INQUIRY: TfL supports ‘journey start or end’ rule in evidence to tackle cross border
- Perry Richardson
- Sep 22
- 2 min read
Transport for London (TfL) has issued a fresh call for national licensing reform, warning that the current system is failing to keep pace with changes in the taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) sectors.
In written evidence to Parliament, TfL outlined a series of proposed legislative changes, citing enforcement challenges, safety concerns and loopholes around cross-border hiring.
According to TfL, although national statutory standards introduced by Government in response to previous reviews have helped set a baseline for safeguarding, many key issues remain unresolved. This includes the ability of PHV drivers and vehicles licensed in one area to work predominantly in another, without complying with the local conditions in which they operate.
Cross-border hiring continues to undermine local authority enforcement, TfL says. Vehicles and drivers operating out-of-area may not meet local safety, accessibility or environmental requirements, and councils are left unable to properly regulate them. TfL has long called for a ‘journey start or end’ rule, which would restrict cross-border activity and reinforce the purpose of locally tailored licensing.
The urgency of this issue has been brought into focus by the findings of the Casey Review, which identified weak licensing frameworks as a contributing factor to serious safeguarding failures. TfL noted that reform in this area was recommended by the Government’s own Task and Finish Group back in 2018, but remains unimplemented.
Enforcement is another area TfL is pushing to strengthen. The organisation wants the ability to issue fixed penalty notices for private hire offences, bring app-based booking platforms under a regulated framework, and grant authorised officers powers to issue PG9 vehicle prohibitions. These changes would give local authorities more tools to address non-compliance swiftly.
Fare transparency has also come under scrutiny. While TfL regulates taxi fares, the current law does not apply to booking apps. TfL says this lack of oversight has led to inconsistent pricing and reduced public trust. Proposals include extending regulation to booking platforms and enhancing data-sharing powers to improve monitoring.
In a bid to increase safety, TfL also renewed its support for national minimum standards around in-vehicle CCTV, as well as legal reform to better protect passengers with assistance dogs. It also wants flexibility to apply licensing changes immediately, rather than waiting for licence renewals.
Concerns about illegal number plates and the limitations of interim suspension powers also featured heavily in TfL’s evidence. The organisation argues that its ability to act on serious issues is hindered by the requirement to define suspension periods in advance. This, they say, restricts proportionate enforcement while investigations are ongoing.
Finally, TfL highlighted the financial pressures on the trade, pointing to the need for extended grants for low-emission taxis, VAT changes for charging and accessible vehicles, and more joined-up regulation to tackle the wider impact of licence shopping on compliant drivers.
