Portsmouth’s Labour MPs Stephen Morgan and Amanda Martin are bringing taxi and private hire drivers together to hear their concerns and help shape discussions about the future of licensing.
Stephen Morgan, MP for Portsmouth South, and Amanda Martin, MP for Portsmouth North, are inviting drivers to a meeting on Saturday 10 October. The event starts at 10.30am in North End.
The discussion will cover differences between councils’ licensing systems, out-of-area working, app-based bookings, vehicle requirements, licensing costs and enforcement.
Morgan and Martin want drivers’ practical experience to inform their work in Parliament and discussions with ministers, alongside the need to protect passengers.
Martin: ‘what a fairer system would look like’
Morgan said drivers deserved a fair and proportionate licensing system, with properly enforced safety standards.
Martin said: “We want to hear directly from drivers about what is and isn’t working, and what a fairer system would look like.”
The meeting follows the MPs’ launch of an online survey in September, asking drivers about the challenges they face and the changes they would support.
The wider debate
The wider policy debate includes a government consultation, launched in January and closed in April, on whether local transport authorities should take responsibility for taxi and private hire licensing in England.
The Department for Transport argued that licensing across larger areas could improve consistency and enforcement and better reflect how passengers travel. Its consultation also acknowledged potential transition costs and challenges for drivers and authorities.
That proposal should not be confused with an already implemented national licensing system. The Portsmouth meeting is an opportunity to discuss possible reforms and hear directly from those working in the industry.
Drivers wishing to attend can register through the events section of Morgan’s website or contribute to the MPs’ online survey.
