Firstly, however, I state yet again: the mind-set of ‘cross-border hiring’ being the issue needs to be overcome as cross-border hiring has always been around and has to be in place. This was actually correctly referred to by the Transport Secretary, Simon Lightwood, when addressing the well-intentioned but misinformed Chris Vince MP in the House of Commons in October 2024.
So, forget trying to get rid cross-border hiring, it’s always been here and it’s here to stay.
When I contacted him in December 2024 following his previous statement I asked for more details. You can read the March 2025 edition of PHTM to see what the reply was, which to me was ambiguous, and he is still all very vague. So, It does make me wonder what advice he has been getting and which way he going to turn.
However, I really do not hold out much hope when Andy Burnham continuously refers to the problem being ‘taxis’ which is simply not the case. So, a message to Mr Burnham. A ‘taxi’ is a hackney carriage and not a private hire vehicle.
So, the problem you have is private hire
vehicles/drivers predominantly working outside of their respective licensing area and instead in your area. I would concede that there may be a few ‘taxis’ doing the same, but I very much doubt you have any Wolverhampton ‘taxis’ predominantly working in Manchester.
The solution?
Well different parties within the trade have their own solutions which includes enforcing existing legislation. The issue there is that to date, no council has shown any interest in that route which I would imagine is down to the requirement of having the will and certainly deep pockets. The other route is ‘ABBA’ that I do not consider being of any use where a job must either begin or end in the respective licensing area of the driver/vehicle licence.
This now leads to another solution that I have raised in PHTM more than once and which now needs serious consideration as I believe that it has the full potential to work.
PHTM MAY 2025
What needs to be resolved is PHVs ‘predominantly out of area working’ (POAW) which is what needs to be accepted as the issue by all in the trade.
On this basis I have produced a lengthy presentation of where we are today offering the only resolution that I can see will work which needs to be backed by all the trade, local licensing authorities and TfL.
As it is not possible to include the seventeen-page presentation here, it can be viewed at:
iupolicy.co.uk
This has been produced to provide information to those who are not in the trade of what has been going on over the last few years so there is a better understanding and is in two parts.
1: Cross-border hiring is not the issue
2: Intended Use Policy for hackney carriages, private hire vehicles and operators
Is the ‘IUP’ as written perfect? Probably not, but it is the way forward to regain the local authority control that has been taken away over the last few years as a result of the tangled web that has been created by the men in suits and barristers leading to the ‘broken’ trade we have been left with today. Importantly, I consider an IUP to be the path of least resistance.
Lastly…. another Uber driver strike is due to take place on 1 May in the city here and nationally. This is not surprising at all considering what Uber is now paying its drivers per mile here in Brighton, which is less than £2 a mile at times…
Oh how we laugh when we get sent the Uber driver app screen-shots!
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