
South Cambridgeshire District Council is inviting views on proposed updates to its taxi licensing policy for private hire vehicles and hackney carriages.
The review aims to improve safety for passengers and drivers by bringing local rules into line with current legislation, national guidance and industry best practice, using advice from the Department for Transport and the Institute of Licensing.
The draft policy outlines enhanced safeguarding measures, updated driver suitability and convictions guidance, modernised licence conditions and mandatory refresher safeguarding training.
It also sets out refined standards covering operator responsibilities and vehicle requirements.
As part of the review, the authority is particularly keen to receive feedback on vehicle signage rules, such as the current requirement for private hire vehicles to display yellow half-moon door signs to reassure passengers that drivers are fully licensed.
The public consultation opened at 9am on Monday, 26 October, and will close at 11.59pm on Sunday, 29 November.
Members of the public can review the draft policy and submit their comments online via the council's engagement platform at https://engage.scambs.gov.uk/en-GB/projects/taxi-2026 before the final proposals go to the Licensing Committee for formal consideration.

Figures show that hackney carriages increased from 226 to 367, while private hire vehicles grew from 100 to 265 by 2025/26. 

Under the proposals, the starting charge on every tariff will increase by approximately 10 per cent, whilst per-mile and waiting charges will remain unchanged. 

The ordeal began at around 8:15pm on Thursday, October 22, when three young men boarded a red Toyota Prius PHV in Billingham.

The proposed adjustment is the first since May 2022, with officers pointing to official government fuel price data to justify the rise. 

The panel heard that the driver had previously held a licence with Havant Borough Council, which was suspended and revoked following conduct that included sexual contact with a vulnerable passenger. 

A 76-year-old cabbie has been stripped of his driving licence after failing to convince magistrates that a ban would cause him exceptional hardship. 

The transport authority has outlined four distinct options to help drivers cover rising expenses, maintain fair compensation,and keep taxi driving a viable career choice.

Under the new tariff coming into effect on 5 November 2026, the initial charge for journeys of up to 880 yards will rise by 30p to £4.30, bringing the estimated cost of a two-mile trip to £7.50.

Isle of Wight Council's environment and community protection committee (ECPC) has been advised to approve a draft Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Statement of Licensing Policy 2027–2032 for a six-week consultation. 

Taxi drivers in East Renfrewshire are demanding tougher parking enforcement after all four spaces at a designated taxi rank were occupied by other vehicles – including a Police Scotland van.

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

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.

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.
