Call for an end to 'out-of-town' taxi licensing

Calls have been made to close a legal "loophole" that allows taxi drivers licenced in other areas to operate in Hull.

Hull City Council members have unanimously called for new government legislation to bring to an end "out-of-town" taxi licensing, which they see as a safeguarding concern.

The application process for getting a private hire vehicle licence differs between councils, with the fees and the level of vehicle standards set by each authority.

Ted Dolman, chairman of the city council's licensing committee, said the current system meant the authority was left "with a lack of control over who operates on our streets and who transports our residents".

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, at this month's full council meeting Labour Group leader Daren Hale brought forward an emergency motion calling for government action to close the "loophole", which he described as an "absolute travesty".

Similar concerns have been raised in Lincolnshire recently by South Kesteven District Council.

The motion in Hull follows the release of the recent Casey Review on grooming gangs, which included the tightening of taxi licensing rules as one of its recommendations.

Unlike hackney carriages, private hire vehicles are not confined to operating within the borders of the authority where they are licensed.

Safeguarding concerns

Hale's motion specifically referred to City of Wolverhampton Council, which has made headlines due to its licensed drivers popping up across the country on a seemingly disproportionate scale.

The motion stated it should be a mandatory requirement for licensees to operate within the areas where their licences are issued.

Dolman, who seconded Hale's motion, said: "Without a doubt the largest issue our fantastic drivers raise is that of Wolverhampton taxis and the safeguarding concerns that come with them."

A spokesperson for the Wolverhampton council said safeguarding was "our number one priority in taxi licensing".

It said it was the only local authority that checked the Disclosure and Barring Service database every day and it was the first authority to offer driver licence checks by smartphone, allowing passengers to verify a driver's status and identity before getting in.

"We welcome any measures from government to help tackle the important matter of safeguarding," the spokesperson added.

"We work in partnership with Hull City Council and have carried out 23 operations over the last three years, checking 206 vehicles."

They added that it was illegal for the council to refuse an application for a taxi licence on the basis of where the applicant lived, and for licensing authorities to impose a limit on the number of private hire licences issued.

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