Taxi Licensing: Deregulation Act 2015

Debate between Chris Vince and Jim Shannon

Monday 21st October 2024 Commons Chamber

[Chris Vince]

My hon. Friend is right; this is not just a bureaucratic oversight, but a public safety crisis waiting to happen. Vehicles are not being inspected regularly enough and drivers are not being vetted thoroughly enough. Passengers, who trust that any taxi they step into is safe, are the ones left exposed. Taxis often serve the most vulnerable members of our community. Can we truly say that we are doing our duty to protect them under these conditions?

The inconsistency in signage requirements across different districts only deepens the confusion. In Harlow, we enforce clear and visible signage—a rooftop box for taxis and door signs for private hire vehicles. Not every district requires that and, as a result, passengers are left guessing whether the vehicle they are entering is legitimate and safe, and local councils are forced to battle through bureaucratic layers just to verify the safety and legality of those vehicles. That is unacceptable. This deregulation has not just lowered standards but put lives at risk. We cannot wait for an accident or tragedy to spur us into action. We must be proactive, not reactive. We need legislation that reflects the pace of modern life and the demands of today’s safety standards. We cannot fall behind.

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I congratulate the hon. Member on securing this debate. Does he agree that the safety of users and the experience of knowing that an officially licensed taxi driver has been thoroughly vetted is something that many people take for granted, and that urgent changes must take place to ensure that vetting is as stringent as checks for insurance and a clean licence?

[Chris Vince]

I agree. We are talking about passenger safety. If somehow we could set aside the issue of safety—I believe we cannot—there are other grave consequences of the legislation. It is undermining the livelihood of our taxi drivers. Drivers operating under cross-border licences often lack the local knowledge necessary to provide the level of service that passengers expect.