THE BURNHAM EFFECT
disability awareness training, wheelchair-accessible vehicle provision and a single national complaints portal.
Preparing for the future?
A Burnham premiership is unlikely to mean deregulation for taxi and private hire firms. Based on his Greater Manchester record, it would more likely accelerate reform towards local accountability, tougher controls on out-of-area licensing, stronger enforce- ment powers and a more integrated view of taxis as part of the public transport system.
For traditional taxi firms, that may be welcome. For national (especially app-based) private hire platforms, it would require early engagement, stronger compliance infrastructure and a clear case for how digital operating models can support, rather than undermine, local standards.
The Committee appears committed to engaging with reforming the sector. The detail of any new licensing conditions will matter. However, operators do not need to wait passively for legislation. A sensible first step is to map current compliance systems against the Committee’s likely reform themes: driver checks,
Our view
The report does not signal the end of flexible private hire operating models. It signals the end of any assumption that those models can continue to be regulated by implication under a framework designed for a different era. This view is likely to be charged by the premiership of Andy Burnham who has already engaged with the issue in his time as Manchester Mayor. Change is coming.
The most effective operators will be those that treat reform as a strategic opportunity rather than a defensive compliance exercise. By engaging early, demonstrating strong governance and helping shape practical national standards, platforms can protect the flexibility that passengers and drivers value while supporting the higher, more
consistent safety
standards that Government and Parliament are now clearly seeking.
Link to original article:
https://shorturl.at/UV340 document expiry, complaints handling, serious
incident escalation, licensing authority liaison, accessibility, cross-border working, data governance and audit trails.
PHTM AUGUST 2026
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