Council chiefs in North Yorkshire have raised alarms after it emerged that Wolverhampton Council has issued thousands of taxi and private hire driver licences to individuals who do not live in the West Midlands city, with claims that drivers with "convictions and... unsafe vehicles" are able to avoid more rigorous local checks.

The issue was discussed at a North Yorkshire Council meeting on Wednesday, November 12, where councillors were told of an increase in drivers living and working in North Yorkshire but obtaining their operating permits elsewhere, with Wolverhampton Council named as a major authority issuing these "out-of-town" licences.

Concerns have also reportedly been raised by other areas including Manchester and Blackpool.

Councillor Mark Crane, executive member for open to business, starkly outlined the alleged loophole: "Standards in some areas are lower than we have in North Yorkshire. In other words, if you’ve got convictions and you’re unlikely to get a licence from us, you can go to a different authority and seek to get a licence from them."

He stressed the importance of public safety, adding: "I want people who get taxis in North Yorkshire, including my daughter, to be in a taxi that is A) driven by somebody who is a responsible member of society, and B) that the taxi is a roadworthy vehicle that is safe.”

Councillor Simon Myers echoed the statutory responsibility, stating: "We have a responsibility to our public to ensure that you are safe when you use a taxi. That is our statutory responsibility and we can’t do that if people are licensed under different regimes." 

Additionally, Councillor Barbara Brodigan noted that local taxi drivers' livelihoods were being put at risk due to the higher costs of registering in North Yorkshire.

However, Councillor Subash Sharma called for evidence, questioning the claims about Wolverhampton's standards: "Do they allow paedophiles, criminals and ne’er-do-well people to become taxi drivers? The standards that we all have to adhere to are legally set as far as I’m aware. Nobody has told me how Wolverhampton is not adhering to those standards."

North Yorkshire Council ultimately agreed on a motion to urge the Government to change the law so that licences are only granted to people who live or work in the county.

In response, a spokesperson for Wolverhampton Council "strongly refute[d] that our standards are lower than those of North Yorkshire Council," telling the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "Safeguarding is our number one priority in taxi licensing and we adhere to the highest standards."

They highlighted their advanced systems, claiming they "lead the way nationally on using technology to help with safeguarding, including being the only council to do daily DBS checks on all drivers and the first council to offer driver licence checks by smartphone.”

The authority also recently gave evidence to the Transport Select Committee, stating that current law requires urgent change.

The spokesperson added: “Under the current law the council cannot refuse a licence unless the applicant is not fit and proper, even if they have no connection with Wolverhampton.”

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