According to a Facebook post shared by Sheffield MP Abtisam Mohamed, taxi and private-hire drivers in her constituency have expressed “rightful concerns” about ongoing cross-border hiring and the safety issues it creates. Mohamed said she has raised the matter directly with Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood, who reportedly assured her that upcoming government proposals will tackle the issue through potential national minimum standards and giving mayoral authorities more licensing powers.
DM News Commentary
Cross-border hiring remains one of the most controversial topics in the UK taxi and private-hire sector — and for good reason.
Drivers have spent years raising concerns about:
- Vehicles licensed hundreds of miles away working full-time in different cities
- Inconsistent safety standards between councils
- Uneven enforcement and compliance
- Operators choosing councils with the easiest or cheapest licensing rules
- Local drivers feeling undercut or pushed out by the current loophole
If the Government is genuinely looking at national minimum standards and shifting more licensing responsibility to mayoral authorities, this could be a major turning point — especially in hotspots like Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham and London where cross-border activity is a daily reality.
For taxi and PHV drivers reading this, the MP is also inviting direct feedback, so it’s one of the few chances to have your voice heard before legislation is finalised.
DM News will continue following this closely, especially as national licensing reform has been gaining momentum over recent months.
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