
Walsall Council is consulting on a new draft Taxi and Private Hire Licensing policy.
The draft policy reflects government guidance and aims to ensure standards remain high and passengers in Walsall can travel with confidence. It also sets out procedures and standards for everyone involved including drivers, passengers and other road users.
The council is encouraging anyone who uses taxis or private hire vehicles, works in the trade, or shares the road network to take part in the consultation and help shape the policy.
As part of the consultation, views are being sought on a range of key areas, including, vehicle age, identification, frequency of testing and suitability of vehicles.
Alongside the policy review, vehicle licensing fees are also being reviewed and are open for public comment.
The consultation is open until 31 January 2026.
The consultation can be found at: go.walsall.gov.uk/business/licensing-and-regulation/taxi-licences/taxi-licensing-policy-and-conditions-consultation
As part of this process, vehicle licensing fees are also being reviewed and can be commented on at go.walsall.gov.uk/vehicle-fees-consultation

Local taxi and private hire drivers have secured a major victory as Hyndburn Council announced it will finally outsource vehicle safety inspections to private garages.

The ADCU has condemned Uber’s decision to force private hire drivers to accept deeply unfair new Terms and Conditions by 5 January or lose access to the platform.

Gavin Jeavons, 33, appeared before Chester Magistrates Court on December 23, where he pleaded guilty to making off without payment and using threatening or abusive words. 

A joint enforcement operation between Blackburn with Darwen Council and Lancashire Constabulary has resulted in a wave of penalties and suspensions for local taxi and private hire drivers.

Jake Neaves and Jenson Seal, both 19, were passengers in a white Tesla, where travelling from Oxted train station when the vehicle crashed on Holland Road in Hurst Green.

A veteran minibus driver with 22 years’ service, working for Mi Taxis, was attacked in the early hours of this morning.

The capital’s streets are set to become the ultimate testing ground for the future of transport as Uber and Lyft join forces with Chinese tech titan Baidu to launch fully autonomous taxis in 2026.

The row erupted after Mehmood Fiaz UL Hassan, a private hire driver of seven years, admitted to picking up a passenger without a pre-booking outside Waverley Station.

A total of eight hackney carriages and private hire vehicles were pulled over for inspection, with every single vehicle meeting the necessary legal and safety requirements.

The region’s licensing committee heard last week that despite a move toward more flexible attire in September 2024, an increasing number of drivers are failing to meet basic presentation requirements.

The operation, conducted on December 18, saw officers utilise "new tactics learned from previous operations" to target non-compliant drivers.

An Uber driver was subjected to a racially aggravated verbal attack in the early hours of Sunday morning, 21 December, after refusing to take a man from Sheffield to Brinsworth in Rotherham.

Hillingdon Council has prosecuted a Transport for London taxi driver for contravening a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) and not paying a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).

The enforcement exercise, conducted by North Herts Council on December 10 at Hitchin Railway Station, utilised a lone female operative who requested short journeys within the minimum fare distance.

Mr Arshed Abdul Aziz, 67,from Reading, appeared before Oxford Magistrates’ Court on Friday 12 December when he pleaded guilty to: unlawfully plying for hire in Henley on 5 July 2025.

The decision, made on Monday, December 15, aims to address "unmet demand" in city, but local drivers argue the council is fundamentally misreading the market.

Minutes of Dudley’s Taxis Committee have provided an insight into a string of "incredible" licence applications and reviews.

Habib Khawaja claims that local drivers are being "constantly targeted" by youths throwing rocks and bricks, an issue he says has persisted for years.

While residents mourn the loss of an "invaluable" service, former drivers claim they have been left "thousands out of pocket" after the firm entered voluntary liquidation with almost no warning.

TfL has seen a significant rise in applications, increasing from 440 in 2022 to 742 to the end of November 2025 – a 68.6% increase, on track to be the highest number in a decade. 
