TAXI & PHV INQUIRY: MPs will today challenge Uber, Bolt and other organisations as debate over national licensing gathers pace
- Perry Richardson
- Nov 19, 2025
- 2 min read
MPs will today take a deeper look at taxi and private hire regulation as the Transport Committee questions senior figures from major operators, local government and safety bodies.
The session forms part of the Committee’s ongoing inquiry into whether the current licensing system in England is still fit for purpose or whether a national framework is now unavoidable.
The first panel will feature representatives from Uber, Bolt, Veezu and Vokes Taxis. Each will face questions on how well the existing structure works, how they manage compliance across different areas, and whether a single national standard would reduce confusion for drivers, operators and passengers. More than 200 different licensing conditions exist across 270 authorities, creating a level of variation that some witnesses have already described as impossible to manage consistently.
A long running issue set to dominate is cross border licensing. Written submissions pointed to drivers obtaining licences in one authority and then operating almost entirely in another, often miles away. MPs have heard that this trend limits the ability of local councils to monitor standards, weakens enforcement and leaves passengers unclear about who holds responsibility when something goes wrong. The panel will be asked if a national system could bring the clarity many councils say is missing.
Driver conditions are also expected to be explored. MPs will question whether operators should provide clearer information about pay, fares, algorithms and how much control drivers have over their work. Firms may face detailed questions on how working patterns are shaped, how disputes are handled and what data is shared with licensing authorities.
Passenger safety will carry the same weight. The second panel brings in voices from Transport for All, the Suzy Lamplugh Trust, the Local Government Association and the Institute of Licensing. They will be pressed on concerns raised during the Committee’s wider transport accessibility inquiry, including reports of private hire vehicles being unsuitable for passengers with mobility needs. Evidence already given described cases where passengers with assistance dogs were refused service, prompting renewed calls for consistent enforcement of equalities law.
Local authorities continue to argue that the lack of a national licensing database limits their oversight, especially when dealing with cross border drivers. MPs are expected to test whether a national register could help track compliance, improve investigations and support safeguarding work across council boundaries.
The session is shaping up to be one of the most detailed examinations of taxi and private hire licensing in recent years.
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