
Pembrokeshire County Council’s licensing committee supported key amendments to the county’s taxi licensing policy during its meeting on 22 October.
Following a six-week public consultation on a May draft that gathered 30 responses, the committee backed the proposals as a recommendation for a final decision by full council.
Key changes include: mandatory DBS Update Service subscriptions, six-monthly criminal record checks, revised medical intervals, enhanced safeguarding training for new drivers, and stricter operator duties.
A minimum Euro 6 emissions standard will apply to vehicles first licensed from next January, though existing vehicle renewals remain exempt.
Addressing concerns over textured 'Raptor' paintwork making bodywork damage hard to assess, a new condition requires paintwork to be a "high-gloss, smooth finish".
The policy also clarifies three-year licence rules regarding right-to-work and DVLA licence expirations, warns of suspension for missing medical certificates, introduces council feedback notices in vehicles, and allows deferred payments if card transactions fail in rural areas.
Officers stated the policy achieves "a proportionate balance between the council's responsibility to protect the public and the need for a practical and sustainable licensing framework," whilst ensuring local rules align with Welsh Government guidance.

TfL has launched a public consultation on ambitious plans to phase out petrol, diesel, and hybrid engines from newly-licensed private hire vehicles. 

The violence erupted after the driver politely asked passengers Drew Davidson, 26, and an unidentified man to add a second drop-off location using their booking app.

Officers from Merseyside Police’s roads policing unit pulled over a white Toyota on the night of Thursday 22 October.

A legal appeal has been served challenging Fife Council’s decision to grant Uber a booking office licence after hundreds of objections were rejected without being heard.

Drivers say they are regularly being moved away from taxi ranks and issued warnings for over-ranking, despite what they claim is insufficient designated space for local taxis.

Residents complain of nuisance parking and engines left running as calls grow for increased enforcement and a designated waiting area.

Ipswich Borough Council confirmed it stripped both individuals of their combined hackney carriage and private hire driver's licences following separate investigations into their driving conduct. 

The proposal follows a request from the local taxi trade, who highlighted significant increases in the cost of living, fuel,insurance, servicing, and vehicle maintenance.

Shane Hurley, 41, avoided immediate jail after pleading guilty to assaulting taxi driver Mohammed Hanan in an attack so severe the victim required stitches.

Hayadulla Turkmani, 53, from Hornchurch, was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving after a 15-day trial. The jury acquitted the private hire driver of murder and manslaughter.

Dramatic footage captured thick black smoke billowing into the sky from the cab, which was parked on the kerb just a few feet away from nearby residential houses. 

Hawkar Karimi, of Wavertree, engaged in a terrifying high-speed pursuit through residential streets before smashing his cab into the victim’s car during a shocking episode of road rage on Edge Lane.

On 15 October, Tesla CEO Elon Musk unveiled a car that he said will be able to fly, a feature long relegated to science fiction and Saturday morning cartoons.

Around 15 demonstrators rallied against the ongoing tests, which Wayve is currently conducting across the capital alongside driverless technology firm Waymo, using human safety operators on board.

The taxi firm revealed in a statement that its dispatch teams regularly encounter situations where customers ask for specific drivers to be withheld because they are foreign or Muslim.

Father-of-three Jean Nlemvo, said he agreed to transport the illicit parcel from Manchester to Merseyside for a fee of just £75 due to financial difficulties. 

On Monday, October, Mr Justice Birt threw out the cases entirely on limitation grounds without considering whether the allegations were true.

The report was published in June, amid concern about fragmented regulation that varies from one area of the country to another.

Because drivers spend long hours on the road, particularly late at night, they are uniquely positioned to notice unusual behaviour and criminal exploitation in local communities.

The UK has taken a step towards the commercial reality of electric air taxis, with the opening of the country’s first dedicated air taxi assembly centre at Cotswold Airport in Gloucestershire.
