Labour MP quizzes Transport Minister on the impact cross border hiring has on constituent taxi drivers
Updated: Jul 31
Labour MP Chris Vince has kept cross border taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) concerns in the political limelight with questions directed at the Secretary State for Transport.
In his most recent written inquiry, Vince raised concerns about the impact of the Deregulation Act 2015 on local taxi licensing. Specifically, he questioned how the Act has influenced the number of taxi and PHV licences issued by local authorities other than those where the drivers operate.
The Deregulation Act 2015 permits PHV operators to subcontract bookings across different licensing areas. While taxis can only pick up passengers in the area they are licensed, they, along with PHVs, can undertake pre-booked work anywhere. This flexibility has been a point of discussion and contention regarding its impact on local taxi businesses and public safety standards.
Vince MP asked: “To ask the Secretary for State for Transport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the Deregulation Act 2015 on the number and proportion of licences to operate taxis within local authority areas that were granted by other local authorities; and what information her Department holds on the number and proportion of licences to operate taxis in Harlow that were granted by local authorities other than Harlow Council in each year since 2015.”
Simon Lightwood MP, Transport Minister, replied: “The Deregulation Act 2015 enabled Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) operators to sub-contract bookings to each other across licensing boundaries, but the legislation has always allowed taxis and PHVs to operate outside of the area in which they are licensed. Taxis can only ply for hire (pick up passengers at taxi ranks or be hailed in the street) in the area in which they are licensed, but pre-booked work by PHVs and taxis can be undertaken anywhere.
“The Department for Transport does not hold any information about the number and proportion of PHV drivers operating in the Harlow area but licensed by other licensing authorities. As of 1 April 2023, there were 346,300 licensed taxi and PHV drivers in England, of which 264 were licensed by Harlow Council.”
