TRANSPORT COMMITTEE REPORT
The Government also recognises the Committee’s request for a clear timetable. While it is not possible at this stage to set out a detailed delivery schedule, the Government intends to
provide further
information on scope, design, and indicative timelines as the work progresses and once initial feasibility and development stages have been completed.
The Government also recognises the Committee’s request for a clear timetable. While it is not possible to set out a detailed delivery schedule at this stage, the Government intends to
provide further
information on scope, design, and indicative timelines once the initial feasibility and development stages are complete. We expect a discovery phase to begin in the autumn of this year and be completed by spring 2027.
We will continue to engage with licensing authorities, industry representatives, and other stakeholders to ensure that the system supports improved decision making and enforcement.
Recommendation 9
We recommend that the government consult within the next 12 months on introducing mandatory in vehicle CCTV, with a view to including this requirement within national standards if it is sufficiently supported by evidence. The consultation should also seek views on how data protection, privacy and storage concerns could be suitably addressed.
Government Response
The Government will include the issue of in-vehicle CCTV within the forthcoming consultation on national standards, which we intend to publish by the end of this year. This will ensure that the question is considered alongside other measures to improve safety in taxis and PHVs.
The Government recognises that any requirement for CCTV would need to be designed in a way which appropriately balances safeguarding benefits with individuals’ rights to privacy and obligations under data protection legislation. Any decision to introduce such a requirement will consider consultation responses, relevant evidence, and stakeholder engagement, including with the Information Commissioner’s Office and industry representatives.
62 Recommendation 10
National standards should set a clear benchmark for licensing processing times, covering applications, renewals and variations, and require all licensing authorities to publish performance against that benchmark in a consistent format.
Government Response
The Government recognises the importance of timely and efficient taxi and PHV licensing processes, given their impact on drivers’ livelihoods and the provision of services.
However, there would be challenges associated with introducing a national benchmark for licensing processing times. Licensing authorities operate in local contexts, with significant variation in application volumes, available resources, and reliance on external processes such as Disclosure and Barring Service checks and medical assessments. Fixed national benchmarks
could place undue pressure on
authorities and inadvertently incentivise speed at the expense of robust safeguarding and public safety considerations.
The current powers in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act would not extend to requiring authorities to meet or report against a benchmark. The Government will consider if the introduction of this measure is necessary as part of future reforms.
The Government supports the sharing of best practice across licensing authorities, including more efficient application handling, risk based processing, and streamlined renewals for compliant drivers and operators.
Recommendation 11
The government’s proposal to move responsibility for licensing to local transport authorities will not apply in London, where Transport for London already acts as the licensing authority. London’s recent experience of licensing backlogs demonstrates that this reform will not, at a stroke, solve resourcing and efficiency issues.
The department must consider what can be learned from this experience about the operational and resourcing conditions that need to be in place if licensing responsibilities are to be exercised efficiently and reliably at a larger strategic authority level.
NOVEMBER 2026 PHTM
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