“Out of area” licensing loophole endangering passengers and destroying taxi and private hire car livelihoods

On the first anniversary since the Casey Report found that cross border hiring puts women and children at risk and needs urgent reform, the government has still done nothing, Unite, the UK’s leading union, said today.

Unite is also concerned current plans by the Department for Transport to tackle the issue of out of area working have been watered down, as it has said it will not bring in a start or finish rule – a key demand from the union to end cross border hiring and protect taxi drivers who play by the rules.

Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: “The government must stop offering weak alternatives and deliver real protections for passengers and drivers.

“It’s been a year since the Casey Report said urgent reforms were needed to stop cross border hiring and still nothing has happened.

“Both the transport secretary and the transport select committee are full of platitudes about stopping out of area working. But Unite is yet to see plans for a start or finish rule that would do that.”

Cross border hiring happens when a private hire booking is accepted by an operator licensed in one local authority, but the journey itself is carried out in another local council area - well beyond the regulatory reach of the licensing authority.

At present, this is being exploited by some drivers. This leaves passengers with inconsistent safety standards depending on where the driver is licensed, causes local drivers who follow the rules to lose work to those operating out of area and leaves local authorities unable to enforce rules or safety standards on drivers working in the area.

The only way to end the present problems and improve safety is the implementation of a start or finish rule that requires every private hire journey to begin or end in the driver’s licensed area.

Unite has also criticised the Transport Select Committee’s report published last week for failing to include measures that meaningfully end out of area working.
 
Unite national officer for passenger transport Wayne King said: “It is shameful that the government has failed to implement a key recommendation of the Casey Report, leaving children vulnerable to sexual exploitation and trafficking.

“By implementing a start or finish rule Heidi Alexander has the opportunity to protect young people from criminal gangs out to abuse them. This is the only way to implement the Casey report’s recommendations and reverse the race to the bottom on passenger safety.”  

Unite has launched the Stand Up For Taxi and Private Hire Drivers campaign to close the licensing loophole that has caused cross border hiring.  

ENDS

For media enquires ONLY contact senior Unite communications officer Ryan Fletcher on 07849 090215 or 020 3371 2065.

Email: ryan.fletcher@unitetheunion.org

Unite is Britain and Ireland’s largest union with members working across all sectors of the economy. The general secretary is Sharon Graham.