CROSS-BORDER CRISIS
SOUTH KESTEVEN DISTRICT COUNCIL CRACKS DOWN ON TAXIS LICENSED OUT OF AREA
A council leader is appealing to the government to tighten operations by licensed drivers licensed outside of South Kesteven. Locally-licensed drivers have raised fears of unfair competition from vehicles licensed outside the district operating within South Kesteven, restricting the district council’s ability to monitor those who do not comply with legislation, or even had a licence refused or revoked by SKDC but can trade in the district due to a loophole in the regulations. Council leader Ashley Baxter is now lobbying the government about the issue, which allows drivers and vehicles to avoid
SKDC standards. Licensing staff have been on patrol during evenings, nights, and weekends to assist and advise on safety and regulations, including moving visiting drivers on taxi ranks, ensuring PHVs
are not
flagged down, and working with other enforcement authorities – including Lincolnshire County Council – to prevent illegal parking. Cabinet member for licensing, Philip Knowles, said: “We are serious about closing this loophole and bringing a more level playing field for SKDC-licensed drivers and vehicles. SKDC-licensed drivers have concerns about Peterborough,
Rutland, and Wolverhampton- registered vehicles (including Uber)
remaining in Stamford for
pick-ups. “Legally, there are no restrictions in place about where journeys start and finish, even for drivers licensed elsewhere, which means they can end up here and wait for their next job,” said Cllr Knowles. “We are taking the opportunity to question these drivers, advise them and take positive action where appropriate. “Where
there are concerns,
information is collected during our patrols so that we can report any concerns or issues directly to their licensing authority.”
TAXI AND PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER LICENCES PLUMMET IN NEWCASTLE-UNDER-LYME
The number of taxi drivers licensed in Newcastle-under-Lyme has dropped by 47% in the last five years, a decline that local officials attribute to “licence shopping” by drivers seeking less stringent regulations. Since the council introduced its current taxi licensing policy in 2019, the number of registered drivers has fallen from 1,020 to 546. The number of PHVs licensed by the council has fallen from 600 to 385, while the number of HCs has gone down from 194 to 127. According to a report presented to the public protection committee, the decline is a direct result of the borough council’s tighter rules compared to other authorities. Drivers obtaining a licence from
16
one council but operating in another, is a loophole committee members believe “punishes” authorities with higher standards. Licensing lead Matthew Burton told the committee: “We’ve decreased nearly 47% in terms of drivers, which really is a significant amount, when other authorities are having such large increases.” He explained that while the council stands by
its com-
prehensive standards, applicants are going to other authorities for licences and then returning to operate in Newcastle. “There are some local authorities that have very high standards and some that have
very low
standards... and individuals are able to ‘licence shop’,” Burton said.
“We’ve been told on multiple occasions that licence holders leave the authority and new applicants won’t apply because our standards are too high.” The council is now preparing its response to a government consultation on national licensing, which could introduce uniform standards and put an end to this practice. Councillor Rupert Adcock added: “We effectively have a system that punishes local authorities that have higher safety standards and rewards those with lower standards, and that’s just not right. “In our response to
the
consultation, we should set out the minimum standards that we want.”
SEPTEMBER 2025 PHTM
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