
West Northamptonshire Council has launched an eight-week consultation until midnight on Sunday, December 6, proposing changes to rules governing taxis, drivers and operators across Northampton, Daventry and South Northamptonshire.
The review, which is the first since April 2024, aims to strengthen passenger safety while simplifying requirements for the trade following feedback from drivers and operators.
The updated guidelines introduce clearer English language proficiency requirements, stricter DBS checks, and updated medical standards, alongside new obligations for drivers to report relevant incidents and personal circumstance changes.
Other proposed adjustments include removing the current requirement for fire extinguishers and first-aid kits in licensed vehicles, raising the driver medical examination age threshold from 60 to 65, and updating vehicle identification rules such as door signage and restrictions on private hire vehicles using the words 'Taxi' or 'Cab'.
While maintaining Euro 6 emissions requirements for new and replacement vehicles and postponing a broader review of existing taxi zones, the council emphasises that safeguarding children and vulnerable adults remains a central priority.
Councillor Andrew Last, cabinet member for HR, corporate and regulatory services, stated: "Our policy is designed to keep passengers safe while ensuring a fair and transparent system for drivers, vehicle owners and operators."
He added that the updates stem from legislative changes, learned lessons, and daily industry feedback.
Full details and the consultation are available via: https://shorturl.at/6JeHK.

Under the current policy, vehicles that exceed standard age limits are reviewed individually, with input from licensing officers and a qualified vehicle engineer.

A cabbie received a £300 fine following a fixed penalty notice after CCTV footage showed him driving a Norwich woman to Bowers Avenue to dump rubbish.

Annual spending has steadily increased from £7.4 million in 2021/22 and £7.9 million in 2022/23, to £7.8 million in 2023/24, £9.2 million in 2024/25, and £10.3 million in 2025/26.

Emma Richards, of Litherland, sobbed and fell to the floor despite being given an 18-month community order and a six-month alcohol abstinence requirement.

Gregor Thomson was captured on dash-cam footage holding up the cab driver following a late-night pick-up in Falkirk, Stirlingshire, on 5 May.

The situation is made worse by local authority regulations, which have left the maximum fares that hackney carriage taxis can charge unchanged for the last four years.

Drivers belonging to the IWGB Union showed up at TfL’s annual Transport Dinner this evening to call on Sadiq Khan to stop the rollout of driverless cars in London 

Hasan Saghir, 26, travelled 220 miles from his home to Shepton Mallet in Somerset on 6 February to collect the package, using his cab to blend in and evade detection.

The initiative aims to strike a balance between running costs for taxi operators and affordability for local passengers.

Thirty licensed vehicles were pulled over and inspected during the multi-agency crackdown involving Walsall Council, City of Wolverhampton Council and West Midlands Police.

The taxi driver immediately recognised the note was fake due to the way it felt in his hands. When questioned, the passenger handed over further notes which were also fake.

Partnering with tech firms Verne and Pony.ai, Uber announced the news on 14 October, following the launch of Europe’s first robotaxi service on the Uber app in Zagreb in August.

The decision followed an application from the Boston HCA, which warned price hikes were vital to keep businesses afloat amid rising fuel prices, staffing costs and insurance premiums.

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Deputy Samantha Gleave, had raised concerns over whether current rules could be simplified to reduce costs, improve flexibility, boost the night-time economy and increase service availability.

The proposed rules mark a shift away from traditional vehicle age limits towards emissions-based standards, aligning with Department for Transport guidance.

Operating as part of the official taxi and private hire service for Norwich Airport, the high-end vehicle is now in full-time service and available for executive hire on request.

Dilshad Ahmed, from Longton, committed the offence on 26 December 2025 at a temporary match day taxi pick-up point at Trentham Lakes.

Gary Bohanna, 51, launched the unprovoked attack on driver Emmanuel Okinlola after being picked up from a Kirkdale pub on the afternoon of 15 December last year. 

The council’s Director of Place, Jon Dyson, presented a report outlining why the local authority considered the unnamed applicant not to be a "fit and proper person" to hold a driver's licence.
