A North Northamptonshire taxi trade rep is demanding answers from the council after figures revealed that the number of licensed hackney carriages has fallen by more than a fifth since 2022, while private hire vehicle numbers have increased by over 40%.

Neil Rielly, of North Northamptonshire Taxi Trade Representation, is calling for a public review of the council’s licensing policies, warning that the decline raises serious questions about the future of the local hackney trade.

According to Department for Transport licensing figures, between March 2022 and April 2026:

•  Hackney carriage vehicles fell from 237 to 188 – a reduction of 49 vehicles (20.7%).

•  Hackney driver licences fell from 527 to 318 – a reduction of 39.7%, although earlier figures may include drivers holding licences in more than one of the former licensing areas.

•  Private hire vehicles increased from 415 to 584 – a rise of 40.7%.

The figures cover the wider period of licensing harmonisation across the former Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and East Northamptonshire council areas, rather than just the period since the introduction of a single Hackney zone in November 2025.

Mr Rielly believes the contrasting trends warrant closer examination, particularly as hackney carriages provide a service that private hire vehicles cannot directly replace.

He said: “Hackney carriages provide something distinct: passengers can use a taxi rank or hail an available cab without making a booking first. Private hire services are valuable too, but growth in private hire does not automatically replace that service.

“A reduction of almost 21% in the licensed hackney fleet should prompt serious questions about the direction of council policy and the future of the trade.”

Mr Rielly says concerns about the impact of licensing changes have been raised repeatedly. Council Executive minutes from July 2024 record him warning that changes introduced since 2022 had already damaged the taxi trade.

Minutes of the Licensing and Appeals Committee meeting on 20 January 2026 also record concerns from trade representatives that increased licensing fees could discourage applications, particularly from part-time drivers.

Representatives called for an audit of the proposals, although the committee subsequently approved the fees.

Mr Rielly said: “These concerns were put directly to councillors and recorded in their own minutes. The council cannot say it was unaware of the warnings.”

He acknowledged that the figures do not prove council policy caused the decline, but argued that the combined impact of fees, vehicle requirements and driver licensing changes should be independently examined.

Mr Rielly has also questioned the level of public scrutiny being given to the trade’s concerns.

Published council calendars show that full Licensing and Appeals Committee meetings were cancelled in November 2025, March 2026 and June 2026, with an October meeting postponed. Separate licensing panels and sub-committees have continued to meet.

Although the committee is due to meet on 4 November, Mr Rielly says its published agenda contains no substantive review of the decline in hackney carriage numbers or concerns surrounding the council’s knowledge-test arrangements.

He is also seeking an explanation of why a proposed referral to a Licensing Panel for renewal applicants who failed the knowledge test three times was not implemented.

Mr Rielly is now calling on the Reform-led administration, which took control of the council following the May 2025 elections, to publish comparable licensing statistics, commission a review of the impact of licensing changes and bring a substantive report before councillors.

He said: “The policy history spans different administrations. The current administration is responsible for explaining what it will do now.

“Where is the published follow-up examining the warnings councillors heard in January? Drivers and passengers deserve evidence, answers and a clear plan.”

He added: “This is about protecting livelihoods and maintaining a reliable service for residents. The council needs to demonstrate that it is listening and that its policies are working.”

The licensing figures establish a reduction in licensed hackney vehicles but do not, on their own, establish the reasons for the decline.

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