Trade groups across England unite on cross-border hiring, national standards and plying-for-hire reforms

Taxi and private hire trade bodies across England are pressing ministers for decisive updates to out-of-date rules. In recent evidence to MPs, the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association, United Cabbies Group, National Private Hire and Taxi Association, and unions including Unite and GMB, set out their priorities. Three big themes emerged which included action on cross-border hiring, consistent national licensing standards, and a statutory definition of plying-for-hire suited to app-based travel.

Cross-border hiring sits at the top of the agenda. Trade groups say the practice, where drivers licensed in one district work predominantly in another, weakens local control and exposes gaps in enforcement. Complaints can end up routed to distant councils with little knowledge of local conditions. Officers in the area where the work takes place often lack powers to act, which, according to local associations, leaves non-local vehicles ignoring rules with little consequence.

Ride-hailing technology has amplified the problem. App operators create large operating areas that cut across council boundaries and dispatch the nearest vehicle, even if licensed hundreds of miles away. Trade bodies argue that some drivers choose authorities with cheaper fees or lighter checks, then return to busier markets to work. They say this produces a two-tier environment that damages public confidence and driver welfare. Recent safeguarding reviews have also warned that inconsistent vetting can allow high-risk individuals to slip through.

A commonly proposed fix is the start-or-finish rule, often referred to as the ABBA principle. Every journey would have to start or end in the licensing area of the driver and operator. That would shut down trips that begin and end elsewhere, restoring genuine local oversight. The recommendation mirrors a government Task and Finish Group proposal from 2018 and has support from city trade bodies through to national unions.

Many groups also want intended-use policies applied to private hire. These conditions, long used for hackney carriages, require drivers to work principally where they are licensed. Trade submissions say that, where introduced for taxis, the approach stopped out-of-area plating within a year. They now want the law updated so similar rules can be used for PHVs, preventing authorities from becoming licensing hubs for drivers with no plan to serve local passengers.

Technology is part of the enforcement toolkit. Unions and driver associations suggest mandatory geo-fencing so that apps do not show drivers as available outside their licensing area. Combined with ABBA, geo-fencing would block illegal pickups in real time. Alongside this, trade bodies call for national enforcement powers that allow local officers to stop and inspect any licensed taxi or PHV operating in their district, regardless of where it is plated. Better access to operator booking data and vehicle location information is seen as essential to target compliance work.

On standards, the message from the trade is that England needs a firm national baseline. With more than 200 licensing authorities, requirements for drivers, vehicles and operators vary widely. Some places mandate in-car CCTV, English language assessments and safeguarding training, while neighbours do not. The result, according to submissions, is licence shopping and a drag to the lowest common denominator. National minimum standards, set at a high level, would remove incentives to shop around and give passengers confidence that basic protections are in place everywhere.

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Typical areas for standardisation include enhanced DBS checks with updates, medical fitness to a uniform threshold, disability equality and safeguarding training, and clear rules for vehicle equipment such as CCTV. Unions also want driver welfare considered, with fairer pricing structures and the option for councils to cap PHV numbers where markets are saturated. Crucially, trade groups say any national system should be a floor that local authorities can build on, not a ceiling that restricts higher local requirements.

The third priority is a statutory definition of plying-for-hire. Taxis have the exclusive right to be hired immediately by hail or from a rank, while both taxis and PHVs can be pre-booked. Case law, not legislation, currently sets the boundary, and app technology has blurred it further. After the Reading v Ali judgment in 2019, taxi groups say proving unlawful plying by PHVs has become increasingly difficult. They want Parliament to define plying-for-hire and pre-booking in modern terms so regulators and courts can enforce the two-tier system with certainty.

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Trade bodies also propose licensing conditions for platforms that facilitate instant trips. If an app enables behaviour that resembles a street hail, they argue it should be regulated accordingly and share responsibility for compliance. Clearer vehicle markings for PHVs and protection of long-standing taxi privileges around hails and ranks are part of the package. The goal is to ensure that taxis remain the only vehicles available for immediate hire, while private hire stays firmly pre-booked.