Taxi vehicle supplier warns that nationwide rules will only work if industry specialists shape the vehicle and driver requirements
- Perry Richardson
- 15 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The Taxi Shop has raised concerns over the Government’s push to introduce a single national licensing standard, warning that the reforms could fall short unless suppliers, operators and frontline drivers are directly involved in writing the rules.
The comments come as ministers explore consolidating England’s 369 principal licensing authorities into a far smaller structure and replacing varied local conditions with a unified framework.
Josh Rhynas of The Taxi Shop said the current patchwork of licensing conditions has created a costly environment for suppliers and those purchasing new vehicles. He explained that each council’s bespoke requirements sometimes result in taxis being ordered with incorrect specifications, leaving buyers facing bills of several thousand pounds to rectify avoidable mistakes.
Rhynas said vehicle safety is likely to sit at the centre of the Government’s review, as some authorities continue to license older vehicles under what he described as casual inspection practices. He also argued that consistent national driver training is long overdue, particularly for those using equipment designed for wheelchair accessible transport. According to Rhynas, too many drivers lack proper training to load and secure wheelchair users safely.
Cross-border licensing is another pressure point he believes has been fuelled by over-prescriptive or costly local rules. Rhynas said many one-vehicle operators are forced to look elsewhere because their nearest council requires specific vehicle ages, colours or specifications that they cannot afford. Larger operators, he added, often license in cheaper areas for commercial efficiency.
Rhynas stressed that these behaviours are a symptom of an overly complex regulatory system rather than unwillingness to meet standards. He warned that simply imposing a national template without sector expertise risks repeating decades of policymaking driven by individuals with limited understanding of the trade.
The Government has yet to publish detailed proposals, leaving suppliers watching closely to see which vehicle specifications, safety checks and training expectations may ultimately be standardised.
Rhynas said: "Subject to the standards that are legislated, a blanket taxi standard nationwide could be a welcomed change for both suppliers and owner drivers/operators alike. There are currently 369 principle local authorities in the UK, most of which have their own unique vehicle licensing conditions which makes building taxis complicated and can cost those buying them thousands if they order a vehicle with incorrect specification.
"Vehicle safety will absolutely be a motivating factor here, with some vehicles still licensed being decades old, under loose and often casual safety inspections by some councils. However, a blanket standard of training for drivers is something we have spoken about for many years, especially those drivers that are equipped with vehicles offering accessible transport for disabled passengers. There are too many drivers out there that simply do not know how to use supplied equipment to safely transport a wheelchair seated passenger.
"Out of area licensing/working does exist and this is often due to either over the top vehicle conditions or over regulation implemented by councillors that have no experience in the taxi industry, making it very difficult for ‘one-man bands’ to be able to afford the right vehicle to license with their most local council. Alternatively, there are still a number of individuals and operators out there who simply do not want to spend the cash to buy a vehicle that for example must be of a certain age, or certain colour or have or exclude certain specification such as privacy glass and so on. Others will choose to license out of area especially larger operators as it is cheaper and more commercially viable.
"Regardless of the motivation those who work in the industry have, it is due to the current complexity of the licensing apparatus these owner drivers/operators are subject to and simplifying it seems sensible. What we don’t want to see is a repeat of what has been an ongoing issue within local authorities for decades and that is people who know nothing about the industry, deciding what the rules of this new blanket standard should be. Taxi experts, both from suppliers like us as well as representatives from large taxi operators all the way down to individual private owner drivers should be consulted and a fair compromise that ensures the safety of passengers and drivers should ensue.
"It will be a very difficult task to get right as it all depends on what the new rules entail however, it will be interesting to watch how this develops and what changes are brought in over the coming years."
