Tamworth councillors are calling for sweeping changes to national taxi licensing laws amid growing concerns about public safety and unfair competition.
At a recent council meeting, members voted to write to the Government urging a reform of current regulations, which allow taxi and private hire drivers licensed in one authority to operate anywhere in England and Wales.
Safety Concerns Raised
Councillor Richard Kingstone, who brought the motion forward, warned that the current system poses risks to passengers and undermines local licensing standards.
He said:
“We need to make sure taxis are safe and the people driving them are indeed the people driving them – that they are fit and proper persons.”
Kingstone revealed he had received photographic evidence from local drivers showing worrying behaviour, including:
- Taxi drivers wearing court-ordered electronic tags
- Drivers asleep at ranks while waiting for fares
- Out-of-area licensed taxis operating as hackney carriages and picking up passengers from Tamworth train station
Call for Uniform Licensing or Local Ban
The councillor has called for either a uniform licensing system across England to guarantee consistent standards nationwide, or for Tamworth Borough Council to be able to ban taxis not licensed locally from working in the area.
Kingstone singled out Wolverhampton City Council, which he accused of “confetti-like issuing of taxi licences.”
According to figures, Wolverhampton now accounts for 12–18% of all licences in England, issuing 49,983 driver licences in 2024–25 – an increase of 7,508 from the previous year.
Cost Disparity Between Councils
Critics argue that part of Wolverhampton’s appeal to drivers is its much lower fees. The authority currently charges £128 for a new licence, while Tamworth Borough Council charges £256.
The council’s motion means letters will now be sent to the Secretary of State for Transport and the chair of the Transport Select Committee, which is already conducting an inquiry into taxi and private hire licensing.
National Debate Intensifies
This latest move adds to growing pressure on the Government to address cross-border hiring, an issue that has divided the trade for years. Many councils and trade representatives argue that inconsistent standards are undermining passenger safety and damaging local taxi businesses, while others say that the freedom to work anywhere offers drivers more flexibility and consumer choice.
With Tamworth now joining the call for reform, the spotlight on Wolverhampton’s dominance in licensing looks set to intensify further in the coming months.
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