
A mounting backlash against Slough Borough Council’s environmental crackdown has culminated in a 1,517-signature petition, forcing a mandatory council debate over the future of the town’s taxi fleet.
At the heart of the dispute is a new licensing policy - funded by a £370,035 Government Air Quality Grant - designed to phase out diesel vehicles in a bid to slash nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels.
Under the current rules, the council has declared it will only issue new licences to non-diesel cars, while existing diesel drivers face a hard cut-off once their vehicle reaches nine years of age.
The petition, launched on November 27, argues that the council’s timeline is unrealistic and financially punishing for local drivers.
Protesters claim the policy is "stricter and more costly" than those in neighbouring boroughs and warn that operators will be forced to "bear high costs" to upgrade to petrol, hybrid, or electric alternatives.
While the council maintains that taxi emissions account for roughly 10% of local vehicle-based NO2, the trade is demanding a "robust consultation" before the ban is fully implemented.
The Grant: Slough received over £370,000 to "accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles."
The Age Limit: Diesel taxis can only be licensed until they are nine years old.
The Extension: The council has already pushed the start date from January 2025 to January 2026.
The Debate: Because the petition surpassed the 1,500-signature threshold, it must now be debated at a full council meeting.
Despite the pressure, the local authority suggests the trade has the flexibility to manage these costs.
A council spokesperson noted that while operators need council approval, "they are free to set their own fares for how much they charge passengers depending on their ‘business needs’."
However, the council appears open to further dialogue following recent meetings with trade representatives. A spokesperson characterised these talks as "constructive," adding that "discussions... will continue in the new year."

Two private hire drivers have been hit with nearly £1,900 in combined penalties after separate incidents where they refused to transport passengers with assistance dogs.

Taxi and private hire drivers, operators and wider stakeholders are being invited to share their views on proposed changes to licensing fees, as West Northamptonshire Council.

Samir Jamshidi pleaded guilty at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court to operating a private hire vehicle without a licence and driving without insurance between May 9 and June 1, 2025.

Keith Auld, a taxi driver and Unite trade union representative, has sounded the alarm over the practice known as “seagulling,” where PH drivers pick up passengers directly from the street. 

With several long-standing competitors selling out and a growing number of out-of-town vehicles flooding Manchester’s streets, the firm says local licensed drivers are pushed aside in their own city.

The decision came after a November 18 meeting of Bolton Council’s licensing committee, where the driver faced scrutiny over a series of repeated traffic violations.

Joseph O’Neill, 39, was apprehended by police in Woolton on July 19, 2024, after officers witnessed a suspected transaction outside a pub.

The incident occurred at approximately 10:35 am on Thursday, January 8, near the junction of Bordesley Green East and Richmond Road.

The incident, which brought southbound traffic to a standstill near Ramsbottom, occurred after a woman requested a taxi from Fairfield Hospital to a bridge. 

A drunken passenger who threatened to strangle a Leeds cabbie before fleeing with his phone has been spared jail, despite leaving his victim too traumatised to continue working in the UK.

The government has announced its first road safety strategy in over a decade, with a plan to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035.

The DfT has launched a consultation on proposals to reduce 'out of area' working for PHVs and boost passenger safety - but no mention of driver safety!

If approved, the new pricing structure would take effect on April 1, marking the second fare hike in less than two years. 

On Monday, January 12, the Rother District Council’s Licensing and General Purposes committee will meet to determine whether to endorse a revised penalty point scheme.

David Harrison, of Bilston, is charged with the murder of Harun Khan, a 39-year-old father-of-four who was killed outside his home in March 2008.

A joint taxi/PHV enforcement operation in Walsall town centre uncovered a series of dangerous vehicle defects and illegal modifications, including the discovery of prohibited "ghost plates."

Nayer Youakim, 37, a registrar training to be an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) consultant, left a taxi driver with a fractured shoulder, broken arm, and suspected cracked ribs following the crash.

Shaz Malik, chair of the Chorley Taxi Association (CTA) and owner of 4Sixes Taxis, issued the warning after an electric wheelchair tipped backwards on a ramp during loading in Chorley.

This follows signature of an asset purchase agreement on 3 December 2025.

You see an elderly woman in a taxi at 1.50am, having totted up an £80 fare. The taxi driver is confused. Something doesn’t feel right.
