Local transport authorities and the licensing of taxis and private hire vehicles

From:: Department for Transport
Published: 8 January 2026

Applies to England

Summary

Seeks views on making all local transport authorities in England responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing.

This consultation ran from
9am on 8 January 2026 to 11:59pm on 1 April 2026

Consultation description

The Department for Transport is seeking feedback on the potential benefits and challenges of making all local transport authorities (LTAs) in England responsible for taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing.

Our consultation focuses on the impact this would have on:

local authorities
taxi and PHV businesses
passengers

As taxi and PHV licensing is devolved in all UK nations, this proposal would only apply in England.

This consultation follows publication of the English devolution white paper by the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) in December 2024. The white paper sets out the government’s proposal to change the administrative level of licensing for taxis and PHVs to facilitate better and safer transport services for the public.

Documents