Oxford City Council introduced a policy in 2019 to make all hackney carriage and private hire vehicles meet the ultra-low emissions standards, meaning they would have to convert to electric vehicles.
It was meant to be put in place in January 2026, after it was extended by a year last February.
The City of Oxford Licenced Taxicab Association (COLTA) asked for the policy to be postponed until after local government reorganisation happens in 2028.
Representatives from the group stressed that they cared about the environment but said that imposing the requirement for electric vehicles would make their lives harder during an already challenging time for their trade.
These challenges include the Botley Road closure, the closure of nightclubs in the city centre, and the introduction of Uber in Oxford last December.
The council decided to approve the delay at a recent council licensing committee meeting.
Speaking after the meeting, Sajad Khan, secretary of COLTA, pictured said: “The decision came as a massive relief to those drivers who have yet to switch to electric.
"We believe that extra time granted will certainly help those drivers better plan this investment and align themselves with the policy.
“We have worked very closely with the council, including councillors and officers.
“We want the best for our city, and we are on the path on doing our bit for the environment.”
Already 40 of the existing 107 licensed hackney carriages have switched to being zero emissions capable.
Local government reorganisation means that Oxfordshire’s existing councils will be abolished, and new councils will be set up in their place by 2028.
The Government is yet to decide how many councils Oxfordshire will have or what the boundaries will look like.
At the moment, Oxfordshire’s existing councils have different licensing rules about whether their taxis have to be zero emissions capable.
Councillor Simon Ottino proposed that the council should extend the deadline until local government reorganisation has taken place.
The backlash follows a reminder issued by Dundee City Council in August, which warned drivers could lose their licences for failing to comply with the dress code.
Could 2026 be the year we finally see some much needed Government support and urgent legislative change for our industry
Taxi drivers say yobs on bikes have been targeting their moving vehicles, jumping on their bonnets and preventing them from moving off safely at the Waterfront Bus Station in Chatham.
At a meeting of Bolton Council’s Licensing Committee, members backed proposals to remove the age cap and instead require all licensed hackneys and PHVs to meet emissions standards by 31 August 2030.
Cornwall Council has announced they are intending to remove the hackney carriage ‘taxi zones’, which currently exist in the former district and borough council areas of: Penwith Kerrier, Carrick, Restormel, North Cornwal
While it is certainly true that the Labour Government may use the Budget in November to raise additional tax revenue, the private hire sector is not necessarily an easy target for the Chancellor.
Dawitt Tessema, has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a "very drunk" 19-year-old girl in the back of his vehicle and has been remanded in custody.
A council committee has recommended changes to address the "fast-dropping numbers" of wheelchair-accessible taxis, which have fallen from a peak of 47% to just 16% of the fleet.
New accounts filed with Companies House show a pre-tax profit of just £133,355 for the year, a drastic drop from the £8.2 million recorded in 2023.
Uber is in discussions with North Lincolnshire Council about launching its ride-sharing service in the area, a move that could see the local authority update its taxi licensing rules.
Under the draft plans, the fee for luggage would rise from £5 to £10.
Mohammad Razak had his hackney cab licence stripped in October 2024 after he locked a lone female passenger inside his vehicle, refusing to let her out until she paid a higher fare.
Cristina-Georgiana Ioanitescu, President of ADCU, comments: “The submission is a one-way street, controlled by Uber, with no space on the road for the PHV drivers that are the industry’s lifeblood.
The proposed changes, which were brought to the council's taxi and regulatory committee, aim to align with updated national standards from the Department of Transport.
Cllr Simon Bennett, leader of Wolverhampton's Conservative opposition group, claims that the city is paying the price for a 'national free for all' when it came to issuing taxi licences.
A man was found "covered in blood" and unconscious on the floor in Warrington after a serious assault on Friday, September 12.
The terrifying incident took place on September 9 of last year, when Mark Doyle, 36, and Jamie Lee Black, 29, booked a taxi shortly after 1am.
The council has voted to write to the Government to express its concerns and demand regulatory reform in a move it said would protect passengers.
The proposal, which calls for eight or nine taxi bays at The Approach Car Park, was part of a discussion during a Rochford Council meeting regarding a £96,000 car park revamp.
The discussion was prompted by The Casey Report, which audited practices for preventing child sexual exploitation and suggested making CCTV compulsory in all taxis.