From:	Taxis <Taxis@dft.gov.uk>
Sent:	21 July 2020 09:23
Subject:	Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards 

Licensing authorities

I am writing to advise you that the Secretary of State for Transport has issued today 
new Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards to licensing authorities aimed at 
safeguarding children and vulnerable adults: 
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/statutory-taxi-and-private-hire-vehicle-
standards.

The Statutory Standards set-out a range of robust measures to protect taxi and private 
hire vehicle passengers, particularly those most vulnerable. Government and licensing 
authorities must work together to ensure that, above all else, the taxi and private hire 
vehicle services the public use are safe. The Department for Transport will monitor 
licensing authorities’ responses to the Statutory Standards. 

Licensing authorities are under a legal duty, under section 177 of the Police and Crime 
Act 2017, to have regard to the Statutory Standards. In the interests of transparency, all 
licensing authorities should publish their consideration of the measures contained in the 
Standards and the policies and delivery plans that stem from these. The Secretary of 
State is asking all licensing authorities to provide an update to the Department of their 
consideration of the Standards six months after their publication, so by the end of 
January 2021. However, the Department is aware of the challenges caused by the 
current coronavirus pandemic and is mindful of this.

The update will enable officials to engage with those that do not adopt the Standards 
and seek from them a rationale for failing to act to protect passengers. An example of 
this is use of the National Register of Revocations and Refusals by licensing authorities, 
this facilitates the sharing of information to inform licensing decisions, yet not all 
authorities are playing an active role; thereby endangering the safety of passengers and 
the reputations of the honest and hardworking people in the trade.

The Statutory Standards are an important first step in reforming the way the taxi and 
private hire vehicle sector is regulated and should ensure consistent standards between 
licensing authorities. Government fully expects licensing authorities to implement these 
measures as soon as possible. Given this, and following engagement with the sector, 
the Government will not, at this time, take forward out-of-area restrictions. 

Later this year we will consult on revised best practice guidance that will reflect the 
enormous changes that the sector has undergone in recent years and make clear 
recommendations on the measures licensing authorities should consider to enable the 
trade to react to the demands of passengers. 



Buses and Taxis Division
Department for Transport
 
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