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Mayor raises changes to taxi licensing with Government, as MPs back Greater Manchester campaign

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham to discuss end of ‘out of area’ taxi licensing at a meeting with senior Government ministers today
Boost for the city region’s ‘Backing our taxis’ campaign, as MPs make the case in parliament for inclusion in new legislation
An amendment to the new English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill could help address the current situation – where nearly half of private hire vehicles being driven in Greater Manchester are licensed elsewhere
Mayor Burnham says decisive action is needed to fix a broken national system

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has called on the government to put a stop to ‘out of area’ licensing at a key meeting with senior ministers this morning [Thursday 4 September].

He put the issue in the national spotlight at a meeting of the Mayoral Council, where England’s regional mayors discuss pressing issues with senior government ministers – including the Secretary of State for Transport. Mayor Burnham will say that an amendment to the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill – currently going through parliament – is needed to tackle ‘a broken taxi system’, where one local authority dominates licensing nationally, undermining local enforcement and accountability.

It comes as Greater Manchester MPs Josh Simons (Makerfield) and James Frith (Bury North), supported the cause for such an amendment in parliament this week as the bill received its second reading – a move also previously backed by Hazel Grove MP Lisa Smart.

It’s all part of the Greater Manchester-led campaign – Backing our taxis: Local. Licensed. Trusted – which aims for the city-region’s fleet to be amongst the safest and most trusted in the country. Launched in April, the campaign calls more local accountability to drive higher taxi standards, stronger public safety and safeguard the livelihoods of drivers.

Then, in June, the issue was addressed in Baroness Casey's national audit on group-based child sexual exploitation and abuse, with a recommendation – accepted by Government – to put an end to ‘out of area taxis’ and bring in more rigorous standards and enforcement.

Figures show that more than 11% of England’s private hire vehicles are licensed by one local authority, City of Wolverhampton Council, up from below 0.5% less than a decade ago. In Greater Manchester, nearly half (49%) of private hire vehicles are now licensed by authorities outside of its ten councils. The city-region’s out of area figure of more than 12,000 has risen sharply from just under 7,000 in 2023.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said:

“For too long, communities in Greater Manchester and across the country have been at the mercy of a broken taxi system that allows private hire vehicles and drivers to be licensed hundreds of miles away from where they live and operate. This is not just a matter of fairness for locally licensed drivers to protect their livelihoods - it’s a matter of public safety.

“Greater Manchester has led the call for reform, and it’s great to see that being backed by our local MPs. With the government having already accepted Baroness Casey’s recommendation regarding out of area licensing – further reinforcing the urgent need for change – this Bill provides an opportunity for decisive action to be taken by the Government.

“Avoiding unnecessary delay and acting quickly to address out-of-area licensing will allow us to restore trust and raise standards through a system that is safe, fair, and locally controlled.”

The government has previously committed to consult on changing where responsibility for taxi and private hire licensing sits. But it says legislative change is also needed to address the issue with drivers licensing in a different place to where they live and work.

In the meantime, Greater Manchester has run its own 12-week engagement with the taxi trade this summer. With over 5,000 responses, it aimed to get under the bonnet of the drivers’ experiences with licensing in Greater Manchester and explore how, under the current system, drivers could be encouraged and incentivised to license here. A report with recommendations on the longer-term visions for taxis and licensing will be considered by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority this Autumn.

Article Published: 04/09/2025 12:03 PM

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