North Northamptonshire Council has postponed the launch of its new taxi licensing policy until November 3, after a planned September start date was made unfeasible by a delay in government approval.
The council is now awaiting sign-off from the Department for Transport (DfT) on new byelaws, a process that has been put on hold during Parliament's summer recess.
The new policy will create a single hackney carriage zone across North Northamptonshire.
In the interim, the council has opened a public consultation on its proposed "knowledge" test for drivers, which will apply to both hackney carriage and combined hackney carriage/private hire licence applicants.
The test will cover local geography and other taxi-related requirements.
"We know that this topic has been a talking point within the industry for some time," said Cllr Kirk Harrison, the council’s Executive Member for Regulatory Services, "which is why it’s important that we provide this update and next steps."
He added that he hopes "everyone can understand and appreciate that the go-live date is dependent on the Department for Transport approving the byelaws."
The new regulations are part of a broader effort to standardise taxi licensing following the 2021 local government reorganisation that formed North Northamptonshire.
The council also plans to conduct a post-implementation review of the policy to specifically examine requirements for wheelchair-accessible vehicles and transitional rights for existing drivers.
The consultation, which closes on 29 September, can be found here: https://northnorthants.citizenspace.com/place-and-economy/hackney-carriage-driver-test/
Taxi drivers in Wiltshire are calling a recent 3p pay increase "an insult" that they say will drive people out of the industry.
Transport for London (TfL) is facing a legal claim in the High Court for a judicial review into the license delays that have kept thousands of minicab drivers out of work for months on end.
Gas main replacement work on Minster Road has been labeled a “nightmare” by local business owners, with a taxi company boss claiming the disruption is costing him £1,000 a week.
The council’s licensing team and mechanics, worked with Leicestershire Police on 9 August to carry out checks to ensure taxis in the district meet stringent safety standards.
The service, driven by women for women, comes after research highlighted the region as one of the most dangerous places in Europe for women.
The incident, which occurred around 1:45pm, left both men injured and "traumatised," according to the Sikh Federation (UK).
Xristos Tsorvas, one of the three directors of Cresta Cars, revealed that the company's new office on Chester Street was vandalised with smashed windows and white paint.
Szabolcs Pap, 39, was sentenced at Oxford Crown Court on August 15 for a series of offences that occurred on October 22, 2024, in Littlemore.
A council leader is appealing to the government to tighten operations by taxi and private hire drivers licensed outside of South Kesteven.
PC Holly Andrews has been working alongside Licensing Officers from Buckinghamshire Council carrying out compliance checks on taxis and PHVs in the town.
Mehtab Anwar, 30, a full-time Uber driver and one of the strike organisers, stated that "the recent fare prices are unsustainable, making it difficult for drivers to earn a fair income."
A Bradford Uber driver, Khurram Mukhtar, was fined and ordered to pay costs after he admitted to refusing a fare from a blind woman with a guide dog.
The checks were part of a collaborative effort between Ribble Valley Borough Council and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to ensure the safety of licensed vehicles in the area.
Gareth Wilkinson had applied for renewal of his taxi driver's licence and a private hire vehicle licence, but his application was rejected unanimously by the committee.
The incident on Woodgreen Avenue happened sometime between Sunday night and Monday morning, 18 August.
Officers were called to the M23 following reports of a collision involving the driver of an Audi and the driver of a VW.
Kyle Henry, 32, punched Miah Muktar so hard he collapsed to the ground "like a sack of potatoes," leaving him with what the court called "permanent and it seems irreversible injuries.
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Cory Lavery, 30, attacked the woman during an argument, leaving her with a bloodied nose and bruises.
Under current council policy, non-wheelchair accessible vehicles must be less than five years old when first licensed.