ROUND THE COUNCILS
PETERBOROUGH: PROPOSED POLICY OVERHAUL
Taxi and PH drivers in Peterborough could soon be forced to replace older vehicles as the city council considers sweeping changes to its licensing policy. Under the proposed Taxi and Private Hire Policy for 2026-2031, officials want to scrap acquired rights or grandfather rights - for vehicles licensed before July 2022 to modernise the city’s ageing fleet. The potential shake-up also includes mandatory financial checks for all new and renewal operator applications to prevent money laundering and ensure companies can safely manage vulnerable passenger transport contracts.
Other adjustments on the table involve setting a maximum licensing age of 18 years for zero-emission vehicles, introducing a broad hybrid category covering mild hybrid, full hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles, and potentially moving from the current certificate of compliance testing to an MOT-only model while expanding testing centre options for drivers. While the council argues the updates will enhance safety and align with national standards following the Baroness Casey review, local trade representatives are pushing back against several key measures. The Peterborough PH Association welcomed moves toward greener hybrid options and increased testing capacity, but strongly opposed reducing vehicle age limits, scrapping grandfather rights, and introducing unverified financial checks. It confirmed it will organise meetings to formulate a formal objection, stating: “We will challenge unjustified restrictions and unnecessary costs being placed upon the trade.” Licensing committee members are set to review the proposals and decide whether to launch a one-month public consultation.
HARTLEPOOL: YELLOW TAXIS POLICY REMAINS
Hartlepool BC licensing chiefs have voted to keep the town’s hackney carriages fully yellow following a public consultation earlier this summer. The review was triggered after Blueline Group raised concerns that the requirement to respray vehicles yellow creates “prohibitive” costs for newer vehicles. Blueline, which operates across the North East, asked the council to allow partial markings in approved
PHTM OCTOBER 2026
designs or colours, particularly to help them transition to fully electric vehicles. Blueline boss, David Wilson, stated that full colour compliance costs would “affect that investment,” warning that a full respray could reach up to £2,000. However, council research suggested the cost would be closer to £350, and councillors questioned the company’s figures. Cllr Matthew Dodds argued that the price of a respray is minimal compared to the overall expense of introducing a new electric fleet, stating: “It feels very much like something they don’t want to do.” At a meeting on 23 September, the Licensing Com- mittee rejected the requested changes after a survey showed 418 out of 491 respondents supported keeping the town’s cabs yellow. Blueline had previously argued the survey “failed” because it did not ask specifically about partial livery or EVs. Despite this criticism, councillors defended the current rules and stressed that public protection remains their primary goal.
WILTSHIRE: PHV BOOM AFTER UBER ARRIVAL
Wiltshire is experiencing a surge in PHVs following the introduction of Uber to the county at the start of 2026. The shift comes after driver numbers dropped by a fifth between 2020 and 2025, compounded by a net loss of 79 drivers in 2025 as many workers switched permanently to supermarket deliveries. A report presented at Wiltshire Council’s Licensing Committee on September 14, revealed local drivers are increasingly converting their traditional HC licences into PH ones. According to the licensing team, this trend is primarily driven by Uber’s dynamic pricing model, as HCs are legally bound to fixed metered fares while PH operations offer greater pricing flexibility. The licensing team also noted a noticeable rise in PHO applications as well, aligning Wiltshire with other authorities where PHVs far outnumber HCs. The committee reviewed progress on creating a unified taxi licensing policy spanning Wiltshire, Dorset, BCP and Somerset. It also addressed vehicle safety standards and a stricter oversight of vehicle maintenance via the rollout of a new online booking system for vehicle inspections.. The council has updated driver requirements by reducing the interval for mandatory safeguarding training from every five years down to every three highlighted completed safeguarding training for around 400 drivers.
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