I'd guess there will be a slew of similar articles in the coming weeks and months (and even years, since this will be neither quick nor easy), thus the national picture covered from a more local perspective
Which is fair enough, but problem with this is that it's just rehashing the official position and government-issued spin without any critique, and makes it sound like reform would mean only sunlit uplands, and no downside at all
](./images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
Huge shake-up of taxi regulation across Bristol region proposed
https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bris ... n-10750991
The job would be taken out of local council hands
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The taxi and private hire vehicle industry in Bristol and the surrounding areas is set to be radically overhauled under new Government plans to simplify the way it’s regulated.
The Government has announced a proposal to take the licensing and regulation of taxi drivers and private hire drivers out of the hands of the local council in every area, and instead put it into the hands of Local Transport Authorities.
In many places that could mean little difference, but in the Bristol and Bath area, it will mean instead of a taxi driver applying to the local council for the area they want to operate, they will have to apply to the West of England Combined Authority instead.
It will mean the licensing and regulation of taxi drivers and private hire drivers in Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset - at present four different regulatory bodies - will be merged into one covering the whole of the West of England.
And that will end any conflict over drivers crossing the borders to pick up fares in a different area, and also - the Government says - make things safer and easier to crack down on unlicensed cab drivers, or drivers arriving and working in Bristol from far away.
The plan is currently the subject of a consultation period, with taxi drivers, passengers, politicians and citizens invited to have their say about the changes.
“Passenger safety is at the heart of everything we do,” said Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood.
“These proposals, combined with the introduction of national minimum standards, are important next steps to making taxis and private hire vehicles as safe as possible. By moving licensing to all Local Transport Authorities, we're encouraging greater consistency and stronger enforcement across the country.”
A spokesperson for The Licensed Private Hire Car Association said: “We are delighted that the government is consulting on making all Local Transport Authorities responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing.
“Reducing the number of licensing authorities should enable licensing efficiencies and consistency of standards nationally for Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles, which in turn will improve safety for the travelling public,” they added.
The many different licensing authorities for taxi and minicab drivers in large cities like Bristol and Manchester has been identified as one of the many things that could be improved to make things safer for young women and girls, particularly in the area of group-based child sexual exploitation - grooming gangs.
“By reducing the number of licensing authorities, the number of boundaries between areas are reduced and licensees would have fewer opportunities to seek out less stringent licensing rules,” a Government spokesperson said.
“For example, currently in Greater Manchester there are 10 licensing authorities. However, under the proposals, this would be reduced to just one licensing authority. These proposals form part of the Government's response to Baroness Casey’s National Audit on Group-Based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, which highlighted the issue of ‘out-of-area’ working and recommended more rigorous statutory standards for local authority licensing and regulation of taxi drivers,” she added.
“This public consultation will run for 12 weeks and will be available on the DfT website. This consultation follows proposed new standards on taxi licensing to strengthen safety and protections for passengers in taxis and private hire vehicles. Under the new rules, the Transport Secretary would have the power to introduce national minimum standards for taxi and PHV licensing.
“This would see all drivers subject to robust checks and would mean passengers can feel safe in the knowledge that their taxis and PHVs meet strict national standards, no matter where they are in the country,” she added.
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