Taxi Driver Online

Technically speaking this is all a bit misleading, but as a ballpark figure it's probably accurate enough.

But obviously the t-word is misleading from the kick off. And it initially talks about *drivers*, but I think the numbers must actually relate to *plates*. So strictly speaking it can't be wholly accurate, but it's a fair approximation, presumably.


Third of Greater Manchester taxi drivers registered in Wolverhampton - FOI

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-m ... r-67055065

More than a third of private hire taxi drivers in a region are licensed by a council about 80 miles away, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

Data showed almost 9,000 drivers registered with Wolverhampton Council reside in Greater Manchester.

Transport for Greater Manchester has called for a change in the law as local councils "can not guarantee a high standard" from out of town drivers.

The BBC has contacted the government for a response.

Current legislation means private hire drivers can operate anywhere in England and Wales outside of London.

There are just over 36,000 private hire drivers with a Wolverhampton plate, about 13% of the city's population of about 262,000, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

'Rigorous process'

By comparison, 16,300 private hires have a Greater Manchester licence plate.

In January, it emerged almost a third of England's private hire taxi drivers were registered in Wolverhampton and the local authority had to take on 20 new staff to cope with demand.

Mayor Andy Burnham previously criticised authorities for licensing drivers who worked elsewhere.

Mr Burnham told BBC Radio Manchester in August: "How are they not checking up on those taxis and those drivers, but they're taking in the money for it.

"They shouldn't be doing it because they're giving plates without being able to then monitor the performance."

Mr Burnham claimed the main difference in standards related to the age of vehicles allowed, with Greater Manchester councils requiring newer vehicles to be used on the roads as well as more advanced background checks.

However, Wolverhampton Council denied it was "quicker and easier" to get a private hire licence with the authority.

It said applicants go through a "strict and rigorous" process including a day training course, enhanced disclosure and barring service checks, a medical certification and a face-to-face English assessment.

Manchester City Council charges £255 to register as a new private hire driver and between £222 and £342 to register a vehicle depending on its age.

The application fee under Wolverhampton Council is £49 for a one-year licence and £95 to register a vehicle under 10 years old.

A Transport for Greater Manchester representative said: "The existing system means local councils can't guarantee a high standard from 'out of area' drivers and their vehicles.

"A change in the law is required to make sure anyone who drives or operates a taxi or private hire vehicle in Greater Manchester meets high safety standards and is licensed in our area."

The Department for Transport has been contacted for comment.

So 9,000 of Greater Manc PHVs are on a Wolverhampton plate, while 16,300 have a Greater Manc plate. So that's 9,000 of the 25,300 total on a Wolves plate, thus 35.6 per cent, which I rounded up to 36 per cent for the thread title. The article describes this as 'more than a third' (33.3 per cent), which is fair enough.

And, of course, the numbers seem based on where the plateholder *resides*, so it's assumed someone with a Wolves plate living in Greater Manchester is actually working there, which may of course be incorrect, but again it's probably a good enough approximation.

Good luck with that bugger.

Clearly the cross-border issue will never be a priority with the Tories, but I do get the feeling any new Labour government may well look at it.

Maybe not in the first year or two, but I think at some time.

Of course personally I'm not convinced they will get a large enough majority to do anything, but I could be wrong.

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IDFIMH