NPHTA - TACKLING THE
Article by Steven Toy Vice Chair NPHTA
info@nphta.co.uk
The taxi and private hire industry is at a crossroads, with the government and regulators facing a stark choice between a national uniform standard for the industry, similar to that of the DVSA for buses and HGVs, or reinforcing localism, where licensing standards of drivers, vehicles and operators are determined by local councils, subject to guidance from the Department for Transport, the Regulator’s Code, and in consultation with the local trade and other interested parties.
No current control
Currently, we have neither. Local control is completely undermined by the cross-border issue, where drivers, vehicles and operators are frequently licensed by one local authority, but are working in another, perhaps a hundred miles away or more. In many areas, including Cannock Chase where I live, work and I am licensed myself, the locally-licensed drivers and vehicles are frequently outnumbered by those from elsewhere. The local council has no authority over such vehicles and drivers, other than the power to prosecute for unlawful plying or standing for hire.
Even this is now more difficult since the DfT, in its infinite wisdom, or lack thereof, recommended the removal of all signage on private hire vehicles with the exception of the rear licence plate and perhaps a sign indicating somehow that the vehicle was not available for immediate hire. Out-of-area checks by enforcement officers from councils that issued those licences being used remotely are, at best, rare, tokenistic and such inspections are often well publicised to give the impres- sion that effective enforcement is taking place wherever these vehicles are working, when in reality it is not.
The government seems to lean towards localism – with a catch...
It would appear that Simon Lightwood, the Under- secretary of State for Transport is actually in favour of enforcing localism over the national-uniform-standard option. This is all very well, but for the government’s devolution proposal which may result in current districts being merged together to create much larger “Strategic Authorities” -
https://shorturl.at/mDZNi
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If this happens, and current licensing areas are thus amalgamated as suggested in the above, we end up with exactly the same level of disruption and upheaval as if we had travelled all the way down the national- uniform-standards route. One set of standards and one licensing policy replacing half a dozen or more is going to have exactly the same disruptive and onerous effect as one set of standards replacing those of 300 or so district councils.
The burden of change
Invariably, adapting to new standards is likely to prove costly to the trade, particularly if there are stricter requirements (such as age limits or 100% WAV policies for hackney carriages, for example) than had previously been determined and likely agreed through consultation in their once smaller area. Conversely, a lowering of standards (such as scrapping existing age limits or knowledge tests) would likely be no better for the trade either, as it would lower the bar of entry and create increased competition that reduces their (our) earnings expectations.
The public and regulators may see such competition as healthy and of benefit to the consumer, but drivers’ earnings are often already falling well below the minimum wage for each hour worked or available to accept work. Regulators perhaps need to be reminded that licensed drivers and their dependents are also human beings who perhaps deserve
similar
protections from exploitation as other working people. Affordable for the passenger should not mean long hours at low pay for the driver. Let us not forget that long hours at the wheel, both driving and waiting to drive, are not just detrimental to the wellbeing of drivers and their dependents, but are also a potential public safety issue.
Maintaining and enforcing the status quo?
My own view is that licensing areas should be kept as they are, and existing legislation regarding cross- border working should be properly enforced in order for local authorities to be able to regain proper control over all drivers and vehicles being operated in their area.
In addition, this could also to serve to ease the saturation of drivers working across all areas, restoring drivers’ earnings expectations to at least a living wage for each hour worked or available to work, averaged over time.
APRIL 2025 PHTM
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