Department for Transport written question – answered at on 13 March 2025.
Tom Morrison
Liberal Democrat Deputy Chief Whip
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to protect small taxi businesses from the potential impact of ride-hailing companies operating in local authority-licensed areas.
Tom Morrison
Liberal Democrat Deputy Chief Whip
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what guidance her Department is providing to local authorities on ensuring ride hailing companies comply with local authority fare regulations for private hire vehicles.
Tom Morrison
Liberal Democrat Deputy Chief Whip
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent discussions her Department has had with local authorities on the public safety risks associated with ride-hailing firms operating outside their licensed areas.
Simon Lightwood
Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)
Legislation has always allowed taxis and private hire vehicles to carry pre-booked fares outside the area in which they are licensed. This allows the sector to work more flexibly to meet the needs of their passengers.
All licensing authorities in England have a duty to ensure that any person to whom they grant a PHV driver's licence or a PHV operator’s licence is fit and proper to hold such a licence. Licensing authorities have the flexibility to set the standards they consider appropriate for applicants to demonstrate this. To promote consistency in licensing requirements and policies for both taxis and private hire vehicles the Department for Transport has issued statutory and best practice guidance to assist authorities in setting high safety standards, and to promote proportionate regulation in relation to other requirements.
Licensing authorities in England are required by law to share safeguarding or road safety concerns about taxi and private hire vehicle drivers licensed in other areas with the authority that issued the licence. The authority that issued the licence must then consider whether to suspend or revoke the driver’s licence.
Licensing authorities do not have the power to regulate private hire vehicle fares, as such services must be pre-booked passengers are able to compare prices and other factors prior to booking the service.
The Government recognises concerns around out-of-area working and is considering options to strengthen the regulation of the sector.
Yes0 people think so
No2 people think not
Would you like to ask a question like this yourself? Use our Freedom of Information site.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
