Proposal to Ease Private Hire Driver Recruitment

New licences are slated for introduction in the Telford area, which would enable minicab drivers to undertake a specific range of services, such as home-to-school transportation. A report presented to councillors indicated that these restricted licences would constitute a more “compelling offer” for private hire companies that exclusively perform certain categories of work. At the meeting on Thursday, it will be discussed how this initiative would assist Telford & Wrekin Council in regulating more services within the local area. The report highlighted a risk that, without such a scheme, operators might seek licensing in regions with more flexible policies. Since 2015, drivers have been able to obtain licences from any location, leading to concerns that some are seeking out less demanding requirements. The report, authored by Amitabh Singh, the authority’s licensing manager, also stated that the plan would help alleviate a recruitment crisis within the trade. He noted that there were “lots of competing alternative driving opportunities in the food and parcel delivery service areas, and the proposals in this report seek to overcome some of the difficulties in driver retention”. The report further mentioned that “attracting new operators with new operating models will allow the council to uphold better standards in the private hire market”. Should the policy be approved, council officers would then establish the “conditions deemed necessary to ensure public safety”.