New rules for taxis and Ubers in the UK

The government has confirmed that it will change the law to strengthen safety and protection for passengers in taxi and private hire vehicles (PHVs).

The proposed new standards come after Baroness Casey’s audit into Group-based Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse, which was published in June of this year.

Under new rules, debated in Parliament on Tuesday (25 November) the Transport Secretary would have the power to introduce national minimum standards for taxi and PHV licensing – which would see all drivers, vehicles and operators subject to robust checks and requirements on safety and accessibility.

This would mean passengers can feel safe in knowing their taxi and PHV meet strict national standards, no matter where they are in the country.

An amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment (EDCE) Bill, which was tabled last week (18 November), would allow these new powers to be introduced.

Baroness Casey’s wide-ranging report made 12 recommendations for government, including addressing inconsistent standards of taxi and PHV driver licensing. The amendment would help protect passengers from the small number of people who seek to do harm and protect the reputation of the vast majority of the trade who are, as Baroness Casey acknowledged, ‘law-abiding people providing an important service to the public’.

“While the vast majority of taxi and private hire vehicle drivers are responsible, passenger safety is our top priority. We are, therefore, working quickly and decisively to address the concerns around taxi and PHV licensing highlighted in Baroness Casey’s report,” said Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander.

“This amendment is a first step and shows the government is committed to delivering robust national minimum standards so passengers can travel with confidence,” she said.

These standards will be subject to consultation and will be primarily focused on passenger safety and accessibility.

The government is also considering wider options for reform, including out-of-area working. As part of this, the Department for Transport will shortly be launching a consultation on making all local transport authorities responsible for taxi and PHV licensing – reducing the number of licensing authorities from 263 to 70 – to help further increase consistency in standards.

Now read: Tesla is set to be the major loser as new electric car rules are announced for the UK