Review of the Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2027 to 2031

The existing Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy came into effect from 1 April 2023. The Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy requires updating to reflect our priorities and outcomes for 2027 to 2031, in particular in relation to protecting people from harm, promoting health and managing the environment. In addition, ongoing improvements in licensing practices and procedures need to be embedded within the policy to further strengthen the application process and simplify this where possible, whilst maintaining the foundations for robust enforcement to continue to increase compliance across the hackney carriage and private hire trade.

On the 11 March 2026 the Strategic Licensing Committee agreed to consult on the updated policy, to commence on 6 April 2026 and run for twelve weeks to midnight on the 28 June 2026.

The current Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy has been amended and can be found at:

Agenda for strategic licensing committee

A link to a copy of the full report considered by the Strategic Licensing Committee on the 11 March 2026 can be found via the same link.