Department for Transport revises guidance on taxi and private hire licensing

The Department for Transport this week published revised guidance on taxi and private hire vehicle licensing.

The DfT has made changes to the best practice guidance, which was first issued in October 2006, where:

• There has been new policy such as the introduction of the Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups legislation
• It felt that the advice could be elaborated, for example in relation to enforcement, or
• Progress has been made since October 2006, such as the stretched limousine guidance.

The changes follow consultation with licensing authorities and other interested parties such as taxi and PHV trade associations and consumer groups. However, the bulk of the guidance has been left unaltered.

The DfT said: “The key premise remains the same ­– it is for individual licensing authorities to reach their own decisions both on overall policies and on individual licensing matters, in the light of their own views of the relevant considerations. This guidance is intended to assist licensing authorities but it is only guidance and decisions on any matters remain a matter for the authority concerned.”

The Department said it was “most encouraging” that many licensing authorities had considered their licensing policies in the context of the guidance. It rejected suggestions that the guidance should be more prescriptive, for example by providing model forms and licences, arguing that the guidance was about licensing authorities using the discretionary powers made available to them by Parliament.

In the responses to the consultation, local authorities said they found the original guidance useful as a resource, as a training tool for new licensing officers and as a benchmark. However, they also felt justified in deviating from the guidance where local conditions supported such an approach.

To view the revised guidance, click here.