Cross-border hiring is a tricky thing, you have probably seen a Wolverhampton private hire car somewhere in the UK, whether it’s up in Manchester or down in London. 98% of Wolverhampton drivers don’t live or work in Wolverhampton. Wolverhampton does taxi licensing stop checks all over the UK in support of other local councils but I’m assuming it must be hard to run checks 100s of miles away from their home base.
Under current legislation, specifically Sections 68 and 73 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, councils can authorize officers from other authorities to enforce taxi regulations. This enables officers to take action against vehicles and drivers operating outside their home licensing area.
Taxipoint states “The pilot scheme in Milton Keynes, initiated in March 2024, has proven effective. Over 800 roadside checks were conducted, leading to two vehicle suspensions. The success has drawn interest from several councils, prompting Wolverhampton to propose expanding joint authorisation to Halton, Knowsley, Rotherham, and South Derbyshire councils.
If approved, the joint authorisations will allow for enhanced compliance across council boundaries, reducing opportunities for drivers and vehicles to evade regulation. Officers will be able to enforce immediate suspensions where necessary, particularly in cases involving vehicle safety.
Wolverhampton are aiming to continue fostering cooperation between councils to ensure higher standards of taxi and private hire vehicle safety and compliance.
The Regulatory Committee will decide on the approval of this extension later this month.”
