ALL THINGS LICENSING
authorities cannot effectively enforce safety or vehicle standards on drivers they do not license. As laudable and much needed as consistent standards are, they alone may not resolve the risks associated with cross- border working.
What’s included?
• Mandatory standards, details of which will be decided via further consultation, on vetting, training, and safety requirements.
• A legal duty for the Secretary of State to introduce these within one year of the Bill passing.
• Licensing authorities empowered to refuse licences to applicants failing to meet the standards.
These measures were reinforced by a government amendment tabled in November 2025 giving the Transport Secretary explicit powers to set these standards.
Why it matters
National minimum standards aim to reduce the incentive for drivers to seek licences in areas with lower requirements, in theory levelling the national playing field and improving public safety.
2. Strengthening passenger safeguarding
The reforms directly address safeguarding concerns highlighted in recent national reports. According to government statements, the new standards aim to ensure:
• Rigorous, consistent checks on drivers
• Greater accessibility and protection for vulnerable passengers
This includes tackling situations where inconsistent local practices allow unsuitable individuals to obtain licences in areas with minimal compliance expectations.
3. Addressing out-of-area working - but not eliminating it (yet…!)
Although the EDCE Bill introduces national standards, it does not currently ban out-of-area licensing. This has drawn strong criticism from peers and local leaders during parliamentary debates.
Key concerns:
In the House of Lords, out-of-area working has been described as a “major safeguarding issue” as local
PHTM FEBRUARY 2026
There has also been significant political pressure for stronger action in some areas. Greater Manchester, for instance, has led national calls for a further amendment to the Bill to end out-of-area licensing entirely, contending that the current system under- mines local control, weakens enforcement, and damages community confidence. Local MPs have backed proposals to explicitly include an out-of-area licensing ban within the EDCE Bill.
What this means for local authorities 1. Stronger national framework
Local authorities will need to align with a new set of national standards, reducing policy variation and introducing a more
structured enforcement
environment. 2. Potential changes to enforcement roles
While national standards may help reduce cross border distortions, authorities may still face challenges enforcing against non locally licensed drivers unless further legislative amendments are made.
3. Strategic authority involvement
As discussed above, LTAs may play a larger role in licensing frameworks, complementing existing devolution arrangements.
What this means for the licensed trade
1. More consistent expectations Drivers and operators across England will face firmer, standardised requirements on vetting, training, and safety.
2. Reduced advantage in licensing “elsewhere”
National minimum standards may reduce incentives to seek a licence in more permissive authorities. 3. Greater professional scrutiny
The trade can expect more uniform compliance activity and higher expectations around safeguarding and customer protection.
4. Possible future restrictions on where work can be carried out
If additional amendments succeed, cross-border working could become more limited, creating a more localised licensing regime.
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