CROSS-BORDER CONCERNS
OPERATOR AND STAKEHOLDER RESPONSES TO ANDY BURNHAM’S STATEMENT
Aqeel Arshad, Director of Street Cars, said: “As the Director of Street Cars Manchester, I fully support Mayor Andy Burnham’s recent call for national reform on private hire vehicle licensing. “In a recent interview with the BBC, I spoke about a challenge that’s becoming harder to ignore - cross- border licensing. Drivers are increasingly getting licensed in one area but working in another. As I said then: ‘Drivers go where it’s easiest, it’s perfectly legal, they don’t want to go through the extra testing in Manchester. ‘Licensing has become a bit of a free-for-all. Many choose to get licensed outside the region because it’s faster and cheaper.’ “Manchester, like many other cities, has higher fees and stricter requirements for good reason - to maintain safety and high service standards. But with each council setting its own rules, we’re left with a patchwork system. The result? Inconsistencies that impact drivers, operators, and passengers across the board. “This goes beyond just regulation - it’s about sustainability. Right now, around 12,000 private hire drivers are working in Greater Manchester with licences from councils outside the area. If all of these drivers were brought under a single, region- wide licensing system - similar to what Transport for London has in place - it could bring huge benefits. One estimate suggests Greater Manchester could generate an additional £3.6 million each year.
PHTM MAY 2025
That money could go straight back into the system: better enforcement, improved services, and stronger support for drivers across all boroughs. “We work
closely with many
councils and respect the work they do. But the current framework has created some unintended consequences. It’s no surprise that councils with lower fees and quicker processing times have attracted more applicants. The demand for faster, cheaper licensing has been building for years - this situation was always going to come to a head. “This isn’t about pointing fingers. It’s about finding a way forward together. Greater Manchester needs the ability to introduce region-wide licensing - not to take control, but to bring consistency, fairness, and a better experience for everyone involved. That means giving local leaders the tools to respond to local needs. “Right now,
Mayor Burnham
doesn’t have the power to make that change alone. It requires national legislation. “At Street Cars, we want to see a fair, balanced system that supports drivers, protects passengers, and works for the whole country - not just Greater Manchester. Let’s find a way to get there, together.” Dave
added: “Sadly I could not attend the speech Andy Burnham made on the 16 April, but we did have colleagues there. It had been
labelled as a ‘Q&A session’ in the information emailed to us, but was far from it. In fact it was merely an announcement of the new idea, which is actually anything but new,
as the
‘Devolution’ White Paper was issued by the DfT on 18 December. “It’s disappointing to see the issue referencing ‘taxis’ when in reality this is a private hire matter, not taxi at all. It’s also regrettable that blame has been placed on the Deregulation Act 2015, when in truth, the issue started in 2011, long before this date. “Devolution, I am afraid, will not address the topic of licence shopping whatsoever. In fact, the only thing it might do is to double the problem by not only dropping the borders for taxis to use ranks and be flagged down, as well as possibly creating much longer waiting times for licences to be processed by the Mayor’s office, with potentially all licensing fees going to the Mayors office. “The reality is that some mayors, and indeed some councils, might not agree with this idea, and may respond accordingly to
the
government consultation, just as the mayor for GM has stated he is going to.
Lawrie, Director NPHTA,
“If it goes ahead, then it will indeed be national, and if it does not go ahead, then it will not go ahead in GM either. “We will be discussing this issue in more detail during the PHTM EXPO Legislation Q&A seminar taking place at 2pm on Wednesday 14 May. Come along and ask some questions yourself.”
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