CROSS BORDER RALLYING CRY: Taxi and private hire campaigner urges trade to support petition aimed at clarifying legality of rules
Updated: Aug 27
Lee Ward, a well-known and respected trade representative, has issued a rallying cry to taxi and private hire drivers across the UK, urging them to support a petition aimed at clarifying the legality of Cross Border Hiring.
The central issue raised in the petition revolves around the interpretation of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. This Act was introduced to address the widespread issue of unregulated minicabs operating without oversight, putting public safety at risk. The legislation was designed to ensure that both drivers and vehicles meet strict standards, enforced by local authorities, to protect the public. However, as technology has evolved, so too have the methods used by some operators, creating loopholes that undermine the original intent of the law.
The petition argues that technology has been allowed to distort the intentions of the Act by enabling vehicles to be dispatched to districts where they are not licensed, essentially bypassing the local controls that are meant to ensure safety. This practice, often justified by what is known as the 'right to roam', has never been tested in court. Ward argues that the financial burden of such a legal challenge falls on local licensing authorities, which operate on tight budgets and cannot profit from licence fees. It is alleged that financial imbalance has allowed well-funded operators to exploit the system without fear of legal repercussions.
Ward’s petition calls on the Secretary of State for Transport to provide a legal clarification on cross border regulations. Specifically, it asks for confirmation that vehicles must remain within their licensed district when offered a booking from their associated operator. This, the petition argues, would close the loophole that currently allows vehicles to operate outside the oversight of the licensing authority that issued their licence.
The issue of Cross Border Hiring has long been a point of contention in the taxi and private hire industry. Drivers and trade bodies alike have raised concerns about the potential risks to public safety when vehicles are allowed to operate in districts where they are not licensed. The lack of local enforcement not only undermines the integrity of the licensing system but also creates an uneven playing field, disadvantaging those operators who adhere to the regulations.
Ward’s initiative has struck a chord with many in the industry who believe that the time has come for the law to be tested and clarified.
