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Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood has expressed openness to making CCTV installation compulsory within newly proposed national taxi regulations. This follows a government review of taxi licensing across England, prompted by Baroness Casey’s investigation into grooming gangs. Her report highlighted how offenders had exploited taxi services nationwide and called for stricter licensing requirements.
Currently, taxi operators can obtain private hire vehicle licenses from any local council and then work far beyond that council’s area. This system allows for “licence shopping,” where drivers seek out regions with less stringent rules, lower fees, and limited oversight. Such flexibility enables some to bypass rigorous safeguarding measures like those implemented in Rotherham’s gold standard licensing scheme, which mandates CCTV in taxis.
During a session with the Commons Transport Committee, Greenwood emphasized the need to reinforce legal protections without unfairly targeting the trade. She acknowledged that, while only a small fraction of drivers were involved in abuse cases, it was vital to address regulatory gaps. When questioned by Labour MP Jacob Collier about endorsing CCTV, she described mandatory cameras as “something we absolutely ought to be open to considering,” noting their potential to increase safety for both passengers and drivers, despite acknowledging the measure’s potential controversy.
Baroness Casey’s review praised Rotherham council for its proactive stance following its grooming scandal, commending the council’s comprehensive approach to taxi licensing designed to prevent further exploitation. However, she warned that inconsistent standards and legal loopholes elsewhere allow drivers to circumvent local safeguards by licensing in one area and operating in others. To address this, the government plans to introduce powers in the upcoming English Devolution Bill to establish national minimum standards, aiming to reduce license shopping and strengthen cross-jurisdiction enforcement.
A BBC investigation revealed the extent of this issue, finding that one in five private hire vehicles in England obtained licenses from Wolverhampton City Council, where regulations and fees tend to be less demanding. Most of these vehicles operated outside the city, in places far removed geographically such as Newcastle, Somerset, Cardiff, and Skegness. Licensing authorities are responsible for enforcing their own rules, which has resulted in challenges, including Wolverhampton officials having to monitor vehicles operating throughout the country.
Labour MP Laurence Turner expressed concerns that the licensing dominance of councils like Wolverhampton could trigger a “race to the bottom,” where authorities hesitate to enforce higher standards out of fear that drivers may shift to less restrictive areas. Greenwood concurred that the situation creates risks but pointed out that Wolverhampton’s safeguarding measures, such as daily checks against national databases, were positive examples. Nonetheless, she stressed the need for national standards to prevent this harmful competition and discourage license shopping. Additionally, funding has been allocated for a new database intended to improve security vetting and enhance enforcement across local borders
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