Telford-licensed taxis 'better standards' - councillor

Cllr Overton said Telford's licensing conditions are "a bit more strict"

A Telford councillor has claimed his local authority has "better standards" for taxi licensing than neighbouring Wolverhampton.

It comes as Wolverhampton-licensed taxis operating in Telford are being stopped and checked to make sure they meet safety requirements, as part of a cross-border agreement.

Telford and Wrekin Council and City of Wolverhampton Council have been granted powers to stop one another's vehicles, and even take them off the road if they are deemed unsafe.

A spokesperson for the City of Wolverhampton Council stated that safeguarding is the authority's "number one priority in taxi licensing," and said they "adhere to the highest standards."

Since the 2015 Deregulation Act, private hire drivers can live and operate outside the borough they are licensed by.

A report to Telford and Wrekin Council said there were 343 private hire vehicle drivers with a Telford address licensed by City of Wolverhampton Council.

That compares to 405 private hire drivers from Telford licensed by Telford and Wrekin Council.

As many as 96% of taxi driver licences issued in Wolverhampton between April 2023 and the end of March 2024 were for people living outside of the city - which has been dubbed the "taxi capital."

'We have better standards'

Cllr Richard Overton, who is Telford and Wrekin Council's cabinet member for highways, said: "They [Wolverhampton] are very quick at licensing taxis, so other drivers want to register with them because they get their license done quickly.

"But here in Telford and Wrekin, we're one of the best, I think, with our [licensing] conditions because we're quite strict," he added.

"We want the drivers to be the best, the cars to be the best, because we really care about passenger safety."

When asked if he believed Telford and Wrekin's licensing standards were higher than City of Wolverhampton Council, Cllr Overton said: "I think we have better standards than Wolverhampton, yes, because we take passenger safety seriously."

"They do [take safety seriously] too, but our conditions are a bit more stricter [sic]."

Amitabh Singh, licensing and night-time economy manager at Telford and Wrekin Council, said officers pay close attention to anything that could be dangerous

The powers granted to Telford and Wrekin Council are reciprocal, meaning City of Wolverhampton Council can pull over and inspect Telford-licensed taxis operating in their area.

"We're checking tyres, bodywork, the condition of the vehicle itself, interior and exterior," said Amitabh Singh, licensing and night-time economy manager at Telford and Wrekin Council.

Officers pay close attention to "anything that would be dangerous or cause it to fail an MOT", Mr Singh added, with new powers helping to "protect the travelling public."

"Previously, we weren't allowed to stop or suspend [Wolverhampton-licensed] vehicles," he said, adding they are now able to "take [them] off the road" if they do not meet standards.

'Efficient yet rigorous'

A spokesperson for the City of Wolverhampton Council stated that safeguarding is the authority's "number one priority in taxi licensing," and said they "adhere to the highest standards."

They added that many applicants are drawn to their "efficient yet rigorous" licensing process, and that under the current laws it is illegal to impose a limit on the number of licenses they issue.

They said that the local authority "take[s] enforcement responsibilities seriously" and "does not gain financially from taxi licensing" as the fees are ringfenced to spend on "related activities."

The Telford local authority has said it will send a report to their colleagues in Wolverhampton with the findings of their inspections.

The aim of the operation is to make sure the public is kept safe, and that rules are being enforced consistently across the two neighbouring boroughs.