Taxi Driver Online

This request for feedback has been sent out to (I'm guessing) their mailing list. For those not on it, who wish to offer their views, I suggest that they send them to Karen via email karen.npha@btconnect.com


Dear Colleagues

The National Private Hire and Taxi Association has been asked to collate some information relevant to the recent Government response to the Task and Finish report on taxi and private hire licensing.

Specifically, we want to ask you two major questions:

(1) How has your business been affected by the current trend of out-of-area taxis and private hire vehicles working within your district? This includes not only app-based (“ride hailing”) operations but also PHVs and drivers licensed by remote licensing authorities from many miles away..

(2) How would your business be affected by a regulation that stated that your operation, and your private hire vehicles and drivers, would only be able to accept/fulfil private hire bookings whereby the driver and vehicle could only fulfil the booking if they took the passenger from within the licensing district, or returned to the district with a passenger from outside the district.

The exact terminology as published by the DfT is: -

TFG Recommendation 11
Government should legislate that all taxi and PHV journeys should start and/or end within the area for which the driver, vehicle and operator (PHVs and taxis – see recommendation 6) are licensed. Appropriate measures should be in place to allow specialist services such as chauffeur and disability transport services to continue to operate cross border.

Operators should not be restricted from applying for and holding licences with multiple authorities, subject to them meeting both national standards and any additional requirements imposed by the relevant licensing authority.

May we have your reaction/input/views on this issue as soon as possible, so that we may convey them directly to the DfT for their consideration. Send any emails to the address(es) below please.

Thank you for your time and input on this matter.

Kind regards

National Private Hire and Taxi Association

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IDFIMH