The government has launched a consultation on reforms to taxi and private hire licensing in England, including proposals aimed at reducing out-of-area working and simplifying enforcement.
A BBC News report highlighted the case of a private hire driver who lives and works in Grantham but is licensed by City of Wolverhampton Council, a situation that has become increasingly common across the country. The government’s plans would reduce the number of licensing authorities from 263 to around 70, following concerns about passenger safety and inconsistent enforcement between councils.
The driver told the BBC that while reform is overdue, reducing the number of authorities would not go far enough, arguing that only a single national licensing body would deliver consistent standards across the industry.
DM News Commentary
The example of a Grantham-based driver licensed in Wolverhampton perfectly sums up the reality of today’s private hire trade.
Drivers are not travelling hundreds of miles to get licensed because they want to avoid standards — they do it because the system pushes them there. Faster processing, clearer criteria, and fewer delays can be the difference between earning a living or being stuck off the road for months.
Mentioning one driver’s experience matters, because it reflects what thousands quietly do every year. Wolverhampton, Knowsley, Sefton, and a handful of other councils have effectively become national licensing hubs, while local councils are left enforcing rules against drivers they did not licence.
Reducing the number of authorities may help on paper, but it does not fix the core issue: drivers, councils, and passengers all operate under different expectations depending on where a licence was issued.
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