Consultation on Sandwell Council’s Private Hire and Hackney Carriage Licensing Policy Review

Overview

Every five years, Sandwell Council as a Licensing Authority must ensure that its policy in relation to Private Hire & Hackney Carriages is reviewed and acknowledges guidance and recommendations provided by other Government bodies. As such, this policy must ensure that the health and safety of the public and drivers of vehicles are fully considered.

Why your views matter

As part of this policy review process, we are required to consult with statutory bodies, local representatives, and others likely to be affected.

The Taxi Licensing Team is keen to receive any comments which you may have so that we can ensure that the reviewed policy is a fair and reasonable one which properly balances the interests of local people against the wider benefits to the community as a whole. 

Since the last review and update undertaken in 2022, we have collated any areas of policy concerns/changes requested by our customers to ensure these have been considered as part of our policy review. We have also acknowledged and embedded guidance and recommendations from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) 2023 updated guidance regarding the National Statutory Standards and the Institute of Licensing’s (IOL) 2024 guidance on suitability of license holders.