Posted on the 14th September 2026 in PHTM News

CORBY CABBIES RAISE CONCERNS OVER AREA WIDE KNOWLEDGE TESTS IN TALKS WITH COUNCILLOR

Licensed taxi drivers in Corby have met with senior council officials to warn that a new, area-wide knowledge test is proving too difficult for veteran drivers and reducing the number of cabs on the road.

The meeting at the Corby Cube brought together members of the North Northamptonshire Hackney Carriage Trade Alliance and local councillors, including regulatory services lead Cllr Kirk Harrison, to discuss the council's harmonised licensing policy introduced last year.

Under the updated rules replacing four legacy district policies, drivers must now demonstrate knowledge of routes across the entire North Northamptonshire unitary area—covering Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and Rushden—rather than just their home town.

Trade representative Neil Rielly said: “We want licensing that protects passengers while also being fair, practical and sustainable for drivers.

"The meeting was constructive, but the important test will be whether the concerns raised now lead to clear answers and meaningful action."

Taxi owner Ian Robb added: “Because it is so difficult to pass a street test that covers all of North Northants, there are less drivers and less taxis on the road which is affecting the public.”

The talks also addressed a licensing panel safeguard for drivers who fail the test three times, an ongoing case involving an experienced driver left unable to work, and vehicle rules such as mandatory black hackney carriage bodywork.

Cllr Harrison agreed to review the three-failure safeguard and the vehicle colour requirement, with an urgent reply on the sidelined driver requested within 10 working days.

Responding to the trade, Cllr Harrison said the issues would feed into a wider review of the harmonised policy, noting: “My priority is to ensure we have a licensing policy that is fair and consistent across North Northamptonshire and works for both the trade and the travelling public, while maintaining the high standards of public safety that residents rightly expect.”


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