The Government plans to bring forward a draft Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Bill setting out, among other measures, how it intends to deliver more accessible services for disabled passengers.
Transport minister Simon Lightwood gave the information in a written answer on 7 September 2026 to Ben Lake MP, who had asked what the Department for Transport was doing to improve accessible transport for disabled people in rural and coastal communities.
The answer said taxis and private-hire vehicles provide an important door-to-door service for disabled people, particularly where alternative transport is limited. The Government is continuing to consider reform of taxi and private-hire vehicle regulation, with a stated aim of strengthening existing protections and removing barriers to travel.
The planned draft bill is to be brought forward for pre-legislative scrutiny. That process allows a draft measure to be examined and commented on before a formal bill begins its parliamentary stages. The announcement does not itself change the law or create a new legal duty.
The parliamentary answer does not give a publication date for the draft bill and does not specify the detailed accessibility provisions it will contain. Any eventual requirements for drivers, operators, vehicles or licensing authorities will depend on the draft text, consultation and the subsequent parliamentary process.
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The Government had previously announced its intention to bring forward a draft Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Bill in the May 2026 King’s Speech. The proposed legislation is wider than accessibility alone. The Transport Committee has presented it as also covering licensing efficiency, stronger enforcement, a national database and accessibility.
A June 2026 Government statement said the proposed legislation would include reform of taxi and PHV regulation, stronger regulator enforcement powers, a national database and measures intended to ensure that operators and drivers are licensed where they intend to work. These remain planned elements of proposed legislation rather than rules currently in force.
The plans sit alongside an English taxi and PHV licensing framework split across older legislation, including the Town Police Clauses Act 1847 and Part II of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976. The Transport Committee’s 2026 inquiry heard evidence of inconsistent licensing standards, safeguarding issues, difficulties for disabled passengers in accessing suitable vehicles and problems with the complaints system.
Separate Government work on national taxi and PHV licensing standards is planned for consultation later in 2026 under powers already secured in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026. That consultation is separate from the detailed provisions that may ultimately appear in the draft bill.
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