‘Almost half of Greater Manchester’s private hire drivers are licensed elsewhere and that’s simply not right’
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, outlines plans to tackle out-of-area licensing for taxi’s operating in the region(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Andy Burnham has called on Parliament to back a campaign to fix the ‘broken taxi system’ and crack down on out-of-area cabbies.
Greater Manchester has been plagued by huge numbers of private hire vehicles operating under apps such as Uber, but being licensed with another local authority miles away. One of the big perpetrators of this is Wolverhampton City Council, who licence 35 per cent of all the private hire drivers in the city-region, according to a Freedom of Information request (FOI) submitted by the LDRS last year.
It has been a problem the Greater Manchester mayor and his combined authority (GMCA) have been working to try and fix for some time.
Following a roundtable today (November 21), Andy Burnham, unions and representatives from the taxi trade are calling on Members of Parliament to back an amendment to stop ‘out of area’ licensing through the government’s Devolution Bill.
Taxi drivers near to Piccadilly Station(Image: ABNM Photography)
GM’s leaders hope an amendment to the Bill could expedite the way forward, with Elsie Blundell – MP for Heywood and Middleton North – tabling a new clause for an optional ‘licence where you operate’ model next week. This would give authorities power to require that journeys start and end within their own area.
A proposal for National Minimum Licensing Standards has also been tabled by the government to be included in the Bill.
Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham said: “Taxis are vital to our transport system and local economy. We want them to be amongst the safest and most trusted in the country. But we can’t do this with the current broken licensing system.
“Almost half of Greater Manchester’s private hire drivers are licensed elsewhere and that’s simply not right. The report is very clear about the benefits of changes at a national level, and the barriers drivers face when getting their licence locally.
“We have listened to what drivers, and the industry has told us, and we are determined to lead the way on licensing reform, ensuring high standards, public safety, and fair competition for our drivers. That is why we, along with the trade, are calling on Members of Parliament to back the amendment to close this legal loophole.”
Taxi drivers near to Piccadilly Station (Image: ABNM Photography)
While Hackney Carriages – or ‘black cabs’ – can only operate in the area where they are licensed, current rules mean private hire vehicles (PHVs) can apply for a licence from any authority, each with their own requirements, processes and resources.
If a licence is granted, a driver can operate anywhere in England and Wales. This undermines local enforcement and accountability, with more than one in 10 of all England’s private hire vehicles licensed by one local authority, Wolverhampton council.
The number of out-of-area private hire vehicles in Greater Manchester has risen from under 7,000 in 2023 to over 12,000 today. Just under half of all PHVs operating in Greater Manchester are licensed by authorities outside the ten councils, according to Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM).
To tackle the growing problem, the ‘Backing our taxis: Local. Licensed. Trusted’ campaign was launched earlier this year, calling for new laws to tackle out-of-area licensing and more city-region control over granting licenses and enforcing conditions.
(Image: Manchester Evening News)
Leader of Bury council and clean air lead for Greater Manchester, Coun Eamonn O’Brien, said: “Taxis and private hire vehicles play a key role in keeping Greater Manchester moving and supporting our night-time and visitor economy.
“Like the Bee Network, we’re committed to setting high standards and transitioning to cleaner, greener vehicles to support Greater Manchester’s journey towards cleaner air.
“We recognise the challenges drivers face, which is why we’re committed to working closely with the trade to ensure that upgrading to greener vehicles is both achievable and supported.”