ROUND THE COUNCILS WALSALL:
WHEELCHAIR TRANSPORT SAFETY TRAINING
Walsall Council has launched a targeted safety initiative to make local taxi journeys more inclusive and secure by giving its community protection team specialist wheelchair transport safety training. Timed to coincide with National Licensing Week (8–12 June 2026), the project brings together the council’s licensing and community protection teams alongside the local taxi trade. The joint effort equips enforcement officers with the exact knowledge required to spot both safe and unsafe practices during vehicle spot checks. Officers were trained on what to look for during inspections, focusing on correct wheelchair securing techniques, the safe use of ramps, restraints, and tail lifts, and how to provide appropriate support for passengers. The guidance covered various vehicle types, including hackney carriages, minibuses, and private hire vehicles. This new training is part of the council’s broader dedication to accessibility and public safety, ensuring that transport enforcement “positively impacts transport for wheelchair passengers by making travel more accessible, inclusive and safer.” Alongside these safety measures, the council is currently inviting the taxi trade, stakeholders, and the public to share their feedback on proposed changes to Hackney Carriage and Private Hire vehicle licensing fees:
https://shorturl.at/KFqbq
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE: £819M TAXI BILL CLAIM DEBUNKED
Buckinghamshire Council has flatly denied social media claims that it spent nearly £1 billion on taxi services, explaining that the massive figure was actually the result of a data-entry error. The controversy began when local resident Andrew Matthews shared a screenshot on X from a govern- ment procurement tracking website. The image showed a five-year contract for school and college transport routes valued at a staggering £819,489,040. In his post, Mr Matthews branded the spending “insane,” claiming the council was spending £163 million a year on taxis, arguing it “could run an equivalent transport service for a fraction of this cost.” The post quickly went viral, gaining over 1.3 million views and sparking widespread online fury. However,
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council officials quickly replied on social media: “The amount shown on this website is incorrect and is a data entry error,” adding that they had contacted the site to demand an urgent fix. Thomas Broom, the council’s deputy leader pointed out that a crucial warning had been “conveniently cropped off” the viral screenshot. He explained that anyone scrolling down to the supplier allocations would see the correct figure of £8,194,890. UKGovScan has since updated the page with a correction notice. The site confirmed the headline value was “likely a data-entry error” caused by a 100x slip - such as entering pence as pounds. When adding up the 16 individual supplier contract values listed in the text, the actual total was just over £8.1 million, exactly one-hundredth of the viral figure.
BARNSLEY: CCTV SCHEME SET TO EXPAND
Plans to expand a successful CCTV scheme to dozens more licensed vehicles in Barnsley were discussed by councillors at a licensing meeting last month. Following a successful pilot programme that installed cameras in all HCs, council bosses are now looking to roll out the security systems to an additional 50 PHVs. The original pilot scheme was funded through the Transport Innovation Fund, and leftover money was initially used to offer CCTV to PHVs holding home-to- school transport contracts with the local authority. Following that initial rollout, the council’s Strategic Transport team has secured extra funding to expand the project even further. Officials have hailed the scheme as a major success, noting that 90% of the public reported feeling safer in a consultation. The cameras have also given taxi drivers the confidence to return to late-night work. The number of drivers willing to work Saturday night shifts has surged dramatically, rising from just 16% in 2023 to 45% today, which has driven down passenger waiting times. An official report to be reviewed by councillors outlines the multiple benefits of the project, stating: “The main aim of CCTV is to increase driver and passenger safety and encourage more drivers to work unsociable hours.” The report notes that the cameras support drivers so they do “not avoid the more difficult customers.” Ultimately, officials concluded that having CCTV in vehicles has “enhanced safeguarding protocols and contributed to enhancing protection for passengers and drivers.”
JULY 2026 PHTM
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