Wolverhampton look to appoint full-time police officer to boost taxi and private hire compliance
- Perry Richardson
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
City of Wolverhampton Council look set to strengthen its taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing enforcement by appointing a dedicated West Midlands Police officer to support compliance activities across the city.
The move addresses a key limitation in the current system: council compliance officers are not legally empowered to stop vehicles, including licensed hackney carriages and private hire vehicles. This reliance on police support has led to operational challenges, particularly during proactive enforcement activity.
Under the proposed arrangement, the Council will enter a service level agreement with West Midlands Police. This agreement will provide a full-time police officer, with access to a marked vehicle, to work alongside the Council’s licensing team. The officer will focus solely on taxi and private hire compliance, modelled on existing practices in Birmingham and the South West.
The officer’s role will include vehicle stop checks, verification of pre-bookings, insurance status, badge-wearing compliance and tackling unauthorised plying for hire. Additional checks will focus on vehicle condition, the use of unauthorised ‘ghost plates’ that obscure camera detection, and identifying unlicensed drivers using licensed vehicles.
The officer will also assist in safeguarding licensed drivers from anti-social behaviour, including fare evasion and violence. Access to the Police National Computer will enable faster and more accurate checks during investigations.
Authorisation for the officer to act under licensing powers will be issued in writing by the Chair of the Regulatory Committee, in consultation with the Licensing Manager. This will enable the officer to use powers under Sections 68 and 73 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. These relate to assessing vehicle fitness and addressing obstruction of enforcement officers.
All licence holders will be formally notified of the new officer’s authority and enforcement role. Copies of licence conditions and policies will also be shared with the officer to aid transparency and compliance.
The Council licences more private hire vehicles than any other local authority in the country outside of London. The introduction of a dedicated officer is expected to improve enforcement efficiency, enhance safety, and support the trade in addressing ongoing challenges.
