Wolverhampton Council approves several key taxi and PHV licensing changes and sets 2030 ULEV plan
- Perry Richardson
- Oct 13
- 2 min read
City of Wolverhampton Council’s Regulatory Committee has agreed to carry the full package of taxi licensing recommendations put forward at its meeting on 1 October 2025, following a 12-week consultation. The committee approved updates across licence conditions and the Guidelines on Fitness and Propriety.
The decisions cover changes to private hire driver, vehicle and operator conditions, as well as hackney carriage licence conditions. Councillors also backed an ultra-low emission vehicle policy, removed the requirement for internal licence plates in hackney carriages, and allowed driver refresher training to be delivered outside Wolverhampton.
From 1 January 2030, new vehicle licence applications will only be granted to ultra-low emission vehicles that emit under 75g CO₂ per kilometre. Existing licensed vehicles will continue to be eligible for renewal beyond 2030. A review of other authorities’ ULEV policies is scheduled for 2028 to confirm whether to proceed, amend or rescind the 2030 start.
The council states it licenses more private hire drivers and vehicles than any other UK authority and says it carries out daily DBS certificate checks on drivers. It points to long-standing national law that permits pre-booked journeys to start, pass through and end anywhere, and notes that councils cannot cap private hire vehicle numbers. The council adds that 96% of its licensed drivers live outside the city, with compliance officers deployed nationally.
Following consultation, the fitness and propriety guidelines will now address persistent offending and add illegal money lending and money laundering. Unlisted offences will be considered under a general provision where a new licence will not normally be granted. Specific traffic-related behaviours such as unlawfully entering a taxi rank and using a vehicle with illegal tyres are now referenced.
Licensees must report overseas police matters, and drivers are advised to seek independent advice if they know they have committed an offence abroad to ensure accurate disclosure to the authority. Drivers’ safeguarding duties are widened to include reporting suspicious packages and any criminal wrongdoing. Drivers must also collect passengers punctually from the nearest legally accessible carriageway.
Vehicles with 3D, 4D, ghost or sticker plates are prohibited and proprietors must not fit them. English language standards are written directly into licence conditions. Both proprietors and drivers share responsibility to ensure nothing unauthorised is displayed in vehicles. Operators must publish information on surcharges and changes to quoted prices and provide set information when reporting complaints to the licensing authority. Company directors based overseas must notify the authority if they become UK-resident.
Hackney carriage internal plates are removed to match private hire vehicles. Refresher training for existing drivers can be delivered outside Wolverhampton to reduce travel. The previously mooted requirement to replace licensed hackney vehicles with newer models has been dropped.
The council will maintain a risk-based approach to Certificates of Good Conduct or Character, with exemptions where documents cannot reasonably be obtained, such as for drivers with Home Office refugee status.
