Posted on the 25th March 2026 in PHTM News

SLOUGH PRIVATE HIRE OPERATOR FEES SKYROCKET AS COUNCIL APPROVES 292 PER CENT HIKE

Slough private hire operators are facing a massive jump in fees after councillors approved "excessive" fee increases, despite warnings the move could drive businesses out of town.

The price of a new one-year licence will surge from £153 to £600—a 292 per cent hike—while renewal costs for single-vehicle operators will climb from £153 to £548.

The decision sparked a heated debate during a licensing committee meeting, where some officials argued the town is becoming uncompetitive.

Councillor Waqas Sabah criticised the jump, stating: “Surely, we’d want the town to thrive, and we’d want more operators in the town. Not to discourage them by charging them fees which are double what our neighbours are charging.”

While nearby Windsor and Maidenhead charges just £318 for the same licence, Slough officials pointed out that major cities such as Manchester charge nearly £2,800.

However, Councillor Mohammed Nazir argued that Slough is not comparable to such "large" city authorities.

The council justified the increase by citing the high cost of processing applications and enforcement, which currently takes about four and a half hours per licence at an officer rate of £103 per hour.

Licensing manager Russell Denney-Clarke explained that “if we could process [the applications] quicker then of course the fee would be different,” but noted that staff must also conduct physical inspections of operator bases.

Although the council is “not allowed to make any profit” from these fees, the new rates are designed to ensure the local authority recovers its full costs. The changes were pushed through with two votes in favour and five abstentions.


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