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Posted on the 9th June 2025 in PHTM News
BARNSLEY PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS DEMAND ACTION AMIDST UNSUSTAINABLE OUT OF TOWN INFLUX
Private hire drivers in Barnsley are backing a new petition to their local council and Members of Parliament, calling for urgent intervention as an influx of out-of-town cabbies threatens their livelihoods and raises significant safety concerns.
Drivers report struggling to earn the minimum wage, with some operating for full shifts and taking home as little as £20 after expenses.
Wolverhampton council, which has cheaper licensing costs, licenses around 45,000 taxi drivers for just £49, compared to Barnsley's approximately 500 licensed vehicles. This has led to drivers from distant areas, some registered over 100 miles away, flooding Barnsley's market with little to no local knowledge.
Craig Sutton, a 43-year-old local PH driver who launched the petition, which has already gathered over 350 signatures, described the situation as "incredibly bad."
He stated: “The continued arrival of large numbers of out-of-town drivers is flooding the local market. As a result, many Barnsley-licensed drivers are now struggling to earn even the minimum wage across a full shift – before accounting for fuel, maintenance, insurance and licensing expenses.”
Sutton, who became a licensed driver just last year after a career in building, added, “It’s literally taking people’s livelihoods away.”
Beyond financial hardship, safety is a paramount concern for Barnsley drivers. Sutton highlighted the lack of enforcement power Barnsley Council has over drivers licensed by other authorities.
“This leaves our council unable to regulate safety, signage, or behaviour for those drivers, and the public exposed to inconsistent standards,” he explained.
He noted that many out-of-town vehicles lack the clear identification badges and signage required of Barnsley-licensed cabs, making it "extremely difficult for passengers to know if a vehicle is safe, fully insured, or properly licensed."
Barnsley Central MP Dan Jarvis has acknowledged the issue, stating to the Chronicle: “Barnsley’s local private hire drivers are rightly concerned about this situation. It is unfair that drivers not licensed in our borough can operate here without any local knowledge and without needing to take any measures to register themselves with Barnsley Council.”
Jarvis confirmed he has written to the Secretary of State for Transport for guidance and will continue to work with Barnsley Council.
Barnsley Council bosses admit to seeing an "influx" of out-of-town taxi drivers, with Cllr Steve Green, chair of the licensing regulatory board, confirming that while they patrol and check all drivers, they can only report out-of-town offenders to their respective licensing authorities, rather than taking direct action.
The council maintains that keeping residents safe is their top priority.
To sign the petition: Call for Action: Stop Out-of-Town Private Hire Drivers Operating in Barnsley, click here: Call for Action: https://shorturl.at/7QOwG
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