“Time for the legislators to grasp the nettle” says taxi General Secretary following flurry of government activity
- Perry Richardson
- Aug 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 3
The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) has raised their concerns following a flurry of government activity aimed at reforming the taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) sector.
The organisation warned that while the stated aim is improved public safety, the real-world impact on licensed drivers remains uncertain. The LTDA’s General Secretary, Steve McNamara, fears that complex regulatory problems like cross-border hiring could once again be side-stepped in favour of easier, less effective measures unless ministers are prepared to take firm and informed action.
The General Secretary responded to a sudden wave of government activity following Baroness Casey’s review into the grooming gang scandal. The developments, according to McNamara, represent a rare surge in focus on safety and standards within the taxi and PHV industry.
McNamara pointed to three separate but linked actions taken in recent weeks. Firstly, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander confirmed the Government is now considering legislation aimed at addressing long-standing concerns in the sector.
Secondly, the Transport Select Committee announced it would begin a new enquiry into licensing and standards across the taxi and PHV sectors. This marks a return to scrutiny not seen at this level since previous industry reviews, including the 2018 Task and Finish Group report.
The third action involves a new consultation on the Automated Passenger Services (APS) permitting scheme, which aims to support the introduction of self-driving vehicles, including taxis, PHVs and buses. This step signals a shift towards future mobility technologies and the regulatory frameworks that will be needed to manage them.
McNamara warned that while the surge in attention may appear positive, it remains unclear what practical changes will follow. He voiced concern over how these proposals might affect licensed taxi drivers, particularly regarding enforcement and regulation of out-of-area working.
McNamara said in TAXI Newspaper: “Government action are a bit like buses; you wait ages for one and then three come along together. And this is certainly what’s happened, following Baroness Casey’s audit (report) into the grooming gang scandal, with the developments that have followed.
“Firstly, we had a statement from the Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, saying that the government, in response to the report findings, is taking things very seriously. Alexander confirmed, “We’ve committed to legislating this issue.” She continued: “We will work as quickly as possible and consider all options including out-of-area working, national standards and enforcement, seeking the best overall outcome for passenger safety.”
“Secondly, we got an announcement from the Transport Select Committee, telling us they are launching a new enquiry into licensing and standards in the taxi and private hire vehicles sector.
“And thirdly, another consultation has been launched for the new Automated Passenger Services (APS) permitting scheme, as part of the process towards deployment of self-driving taxis, private hire vehicles and, can you believe it, buses!
“All appear to be closely connected causes that, upon first glance, aim to keep the public safer. Exactly what actions will be taken remain to be seen, and how it affects the cab trade is a significant concern.
“It goes without saying that we will be very busy in the coming weeks, engaging, meeting with and responding to all of the above to ensure that the views of our members are seriously taken into consideration ahead of any new legislation.
“The risk is that these are very complicated and difficult issues to legislate for, and in the past the easiest options (AKA the paths of least resistance) have often been chosen, which is why we are in the mess we are. Now is the time for the legislators to grasp the nettle, put public safety before any commercial considerations and to do the right thing around Cross Border Hiring (CBH) and out-of-
area working.
“None of this is new though. Most of the solutions were contained in the recommendations from the 2018 Taxi Task and Finish group report, written by the chair of the industry-wide group, Professor Mohammed Abdel-Haq. Successive governments since have cherry-picked the easier to implement recommendations, whilst ignoring the big-ticket items like CBH. So surely now is the time for action.”
