Safety in taxi and private hire services remains a critical priority for passengers and policymakers alike. Recent scrutiny of local licensing practices has highlighted the importance of robust, consistent safeguarding measures across England. In this context, the UK Government has affirmed that the City of Wolverhampton Council’s licensing regime for taxi and private hire drivers meets national expectations, even as wider reforms aim to standardise rules country-wide.
Government Confirms Wolverhampton Council Meets National Safeguarding Benchmarks
The confirmation came in a written parliamentary response from Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood. It followed a question from MP Justin Madders, who sought an assessment of Wolverhampton’s safeguarding approach within its taxi and private hire licensing system.
The Minister pointed directly to the Department for Transport’s (DfT) statutory guidance, which outlines the expected framework for all licensing authorities to protect vulnerable passengers. This guidance mandates that councils require enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and checks against the DBS barred lists as a fundamental part of the licensing process.
Wolverhampton’s Proactive Monitoring System
According to the Department, Wolverhampton Council has confirmed it not only applies these mandatory checks but also implements an additional layer of safety: automated daily criminality monitoring of all its licensed drivers. This continuous vetting system is designed to flag any new criminal convictions or alerts that may arise after a driver has been licensed, allowing for immediate review and action to mitigate emerging risks.
Ongoing National Review of Licensing Practices
The Government’s statement also referenced an ongoing, broader review of safeguarding practices. The DfT conducts regular surveys of all licensing authorities in England to map the landscape of local policies. Data from its next comprehensive survey, scheduled for 2026, is expected to be published in the summer and will provide detailed insights into the variations—and commonalities—in how different councils approach passenger safety.
Tackling Inconsistency Through Legislative Reform
The issue of inconsistent standards between councils is a longstanding concern, particularly due to the prevalence of “cross-border licensing,” where drivers are licensed by one authority (like Wolverhampton, which issues a significant number of licenses nationally) but operate in another area. To address this patchwork of rules, the Government is progressing the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill.
This legislation includes provisions that would grant the Secretary of State for Transport the power to introduce national minimum standards for taxi and private hire licensing. These powers have already been approved by the House of Commons and are currently under consideration in the House of Lords. If enacted, they would enable ministers to set robust, uniform safeguarding requirements applicable to all licensing authorities in England, ensuring a consistent baseline of safety for the public.
Greenwood said: “The Department’s statutory guidance sets out a robust set of measures that taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities should act on to safeguard the most vulnerable in society. This recommends that licensing authorities should require taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers to undertake an enhanced DBS and barred lists check as part of its licensing processes. The City of Wolverhampton Council has advised that it requires this important safeguard and carries out automated criminality checks on a daily basis.
“We undertake regular surveys of
Image Credit: www.taxi-point.co.uk
