The Institute of Licensing is conducting a
substantial nationwide consultation (the
first of its kind) to ask how the
existing laws for taxis, which
date back as far as 1847, work for different
users including drivers, operators, customers
and regulators.
The overall aim is to establish if there is a
need for reform of the legislation outside
London, to make it fit for purpose for the
21st century.
There are many reasons for embarking on this
exercise, principally:
- existing laws date back as far as 1847
- lack of understanding makes it easier
for rogue operators putting public safety at
risk
- different interpretations lead to
varying requirements across the country
Hackney carriage and private hire vehicles
are a vital and integral part of the
transport network in the UK with:
- an estimated 600 million journeys in
Great Britain each year
- most commonly used by younger people,
those on lower incomes without access to
cars, and women between the ages of 16 and 20
- an estimated 69,000 taxis licensed in
England in 2007*
- over 264,000 individuals hold drivers
licences issued by local licensing
authorities in England and Wales *
*source - Department for Transport
The consultation seeks views on whether
reform of the law could benefit the provision of taxi
services through:
- eliminating inconsistencies
between licensing authorities in the
application of outdated legislation
- removing outdated practices and controls
which stifle economic development and
competition
- enhancing public protection and safety by
virtue of a simplified system of regulation
- promoting the environmental impact of
sustainable transport
- recognising and embedding licensed
vehicles as part of the national public
transport infrastructure
- reducing the administrative burden on
licence holders and licensing authorities
- providing a better structured and more
understandable framework
Institute President, James Button said
'"Hackney carriages and private hire
vehicles are used by thousands of people
every day, from every walk of life, for
essential journeys, business and pleasure.
Unfortunately, due to the archaic laws that
regulate their activity there are wide
differences in standards across England and
Wales, and plenty of loopholes which provide
opportunities for the unscrupulous and
pitfalls for the unwary. These can
potentially put passengers, drivers and the
general public at risk.
This consultation seeks views from everyone who has
any interest in taxis. It asks questions covering
understanding of existing law, seeks views on
whether change is necessary and asks what changes
would benefit users, the trade and regulators.
This is the first consultation of this type to
include the public as users in addition
to the hackney carriage and private hire
trade and the regulators."
The consultation period is: 3rd
December 2009 - 31st March 2010 and will
be conducted via an online survey which can
be found at:
http://www.instituteoflicensing.org/taxireform.html
About the Institute
The Institute of Licensing is the
professional body for public and private
sector licensing practitioners involved in
regulatory work such as alcohol and gambling,
street trading and charity collections, and
taxi and private hire vehicle licensing. It
is a company limited by guarantee and a
registered charity.
