Wolverhampton-licensed private hire drivers face action after more than a THIRD found not wearing their badges during cross-border checks
- Perry Richardson
- 2 minutes ago
- 2 min read
City of Wolverhampton Council has confirmed enforcement action will follow after dozens of Wolverhampton-licensed private hire drivers were found non-compliant during a late-night taxi operation.
Council compliance officers took part in a joint operation alongside police and partner agencies, during which 83 Wolverhampton Council licensed private hire vehicles operating away from their home authority were checked. The operation identified 33 drivers who were not wearing or correctly displaying their driver badges.
WV Public Protection said badge display is a legal requirement when working as a licensed private hire driver. Officers confirmed that further action will follow against those found in breach, although the council has not yet detailed whether this will involve warnings, penalty points, suspensions or licence reviews.
The findings again places out-of-area working under scrutiny, particularly given the volume of its licensed drivers operating across the West Midlands and in major city centres such as Manchester. Wolverhampton is one of the largest private hire licensing authorities in the country by driver numbers, where only a fraction on licensees actually work the region they are licensed.
Council officers checked 83 Wolverhampton-licensed PHVs during a joint enforcement operation, with 33 drivers found in breach of badge display rules.
The findings where part of a wider Greater Manchester Police enforcement operation in Manchester city centre, stopping and checking more than 174 licensed vehicles in a single evening.
In total the operation resulted in one arrest, 24 licensing suspensions, five vehicle defect notices and two immediate prohibitions.
Failure to display a driver badge is often cited by regulators as a passenger safety concern, as badges are intended to aid identification and allow members of the public and enforcement officers to quickly verify licensing status.
The council said the checks formed part of wider efforts to ensure passenger safety and compliance with licence conditions, particularly during night-time economy hours when demand for private hire vehicles is highest.
Wolverhampton Council has previously defended its licensing standards, arguing that enforcement action is taken where breaches are identified, including against drivers operating outside the authority’s boundary under cross-border rules.
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