Rotherham Council officials have raised urgent concerns with MPs, warning that the growing number of out-of-town taxi and private hire drivers operating in the borough poses a “significant threat to passenger safety.”
In evidence submitted to a parliamentary select committee, council officers said that drivers licensed by other local authorities are now working extensively in Rotherham — with little to no oversight from the local licensing team. Officials said this undermines the borough’s hard-won safety standards, which were strengthened in the wake of the child sexual exploitation scandal.
Local safety rules being undermined
Rotherham is among the UK councils with the toughest private hire standards, requiring all licensed vehicles to be fitted with CCTV and drivers to meet enhanced safeguarding and vetting checks.
However, under current national laws, drivers licensed elsewhere — often by councils with lower fees and weaker policies — can legally operate within Rotherham’s boundaries.
The council told MPs:
“It is considered essential that urgent action is taken to address the issues raised above, as the current situation represents the most significant threat to the safety of the travelling public in Rotherham.”
Officials cited two key issues:
- Out-of-town working: The ability of drivers to work mainly in areas where they are not licensed “exposes the public in that area to unacceptable risks.”
- Outdated legislation: The laws governing taxi and private hire licensing have not kept pace with the rise of digital booking platforms, leading to a surge in cross-border operations.
MP backs calls for reform
Rotherham MP Sarah Champion backed the council’s warnings, highlighting that “historic failures in local licensing were recognised as a significant contributing factor” in past safeguarding scandals.
She added that while Rotherham has since introduced “some of the most stringent licensing regimes in the country,” these efforts are being undermined by drivers who obtain licences from areas with weaker checks.
“This fundamentally undermines the efforts of Rotherham to ensure our children are protected and is unfair on local drivers who work hard to lead by example,” Champion said.
The council and local MP are now urging Parliament to introduce national reforms that would give councils the power to restrict or monitor out-of-area drivers — a move that many in the UK taxi and private hire trade have long demanded.
Source: The Star
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