Recent data from the Department for Transport found that there are currently 330,300 taxi and private hire vehicle driving licences, as of July 2022. Currently, there are around 280 local authorities setting distinct rules, processes and fees for motorists wanting to obtain a taxi licence in the UK.
From region to region, new recruits will face different levels of checks and testing – this can include geography tests, CRB checks and language tests.
They will also incur varying costs and can include significant upfront investments due to rules requiring cars to be painted a specific colour.
To operate in more than one region, taxi drivers may need more than one licence.
In recent times, some local authorities have provided licences at lower fees than others, often removing the geographic restrictions being placed on drivers.
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When compared to the same time period in 2021, new taxi drivers have increased by a staggering 390 percent.
It is believed that the increase in taxi drivers may be a result of many families adding second jobs to help cope with the cost of living crisis.
Interestingly, Uber drivers make up 48 percent of all taxi drivers in the UK – with a surge of 54 percent since the start of the year.
Mr Alkateb continued, saying: “To pick up jobs in more than one region, both operators and drivers will need to have more than one licence, which means they have to go through the whole process multiple times.
“This is when the trivial differences between jurisdictions creates additional obstacles.
“Some regions have different rules over such things as the colour of the car, whether they can have tinted windows, etc.
“This can create hefty upfront costs which can act as a barrier to new entrants to the industry, making it a lot harder for local operators to recruit.
“All this now means that we have a minefield of disjointed rules and regulations for drivers and taxi firms.
“It’s a nightmare for new drivers to get out on the road and an endless headache for operators.”
It is feared that if changes are not made to the licensing system, new drivers will be put off from the profession.
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