New measures will safeguard passengers and crack down on unfit taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers with tighter checks introduced across local authorities.
Building on existing legislation councils in England will now be mandated to use a national database to record instances where taxi and PHV drivers have their licences removed for misconduct. This new law will prevent them from simply re-applying for a licence in other areas by alerting the system to concerns about their prior behaviour.
While the vast majority of taxi and private hire trips are safe and efficient there have been a some reports linking a small number of drivers to incidents of sexual harassment, abuse and poor driving.
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said:
“The safety of passengers, especially women and girls, is paramount. That’s why I’m bringing in tough new measures to ensure that when you catch a taxi, you can be confident your driver will take you from A to B safely and without incident.
“While the vast majority of drivers are hardworking and honest, we’re taking steps to remove the few who abuse their position and pose a risk to passengers.”
Read updated guidance for taxi licensing authorities in England here.
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