Wolverhampton city council has issued thousands more taxi licences than any other local authority in recent years, with data revealing that 438 people with criminal convictions were granted licences last year. Among them, 158 had convictions for violent offences, 61 for drug offences, 36 for drink offences, and four for sexual offences. The council stated that 16 drivers had convictions in multiple categories.
Wolverhampton's Dominance in Taxi Licensing
Between April 2023 and March 2024, Wolverhampton issued over 42,000 driver licences, far exceeding Birmingham and Bradford, which each issued more than 7,000. This dominance has raised safety concerns, but the council denies claims that it is easier to obtain a licence there. A report by the council's regulatory committee attributed the appeal to digitised application forms and streamlined processes.
Concerns Over Safety and Out-of-Area Working
Key figures have voiced concerns about inconsistent safeguarding standards. The government is exploring proposals to reduce the number of licensing bodies and limit out-of-area working, which allows drivers licensed in one area to operate in another. Between April 2023 and March 2024, 96% of Wolverhampton's licensed drivers lived outside the city.
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, called the figures "truly shocking" and said they "lay bare the fundamental issue with how private hire licensing is managed in this country." He added, "We want our taxis and private hire vehicles to be among the safest and most trusted, but we can't with the current broken system."
The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, which campaigns against stalking and harassment, has been advocating for consistent safeguarding standards since 2014. They called for drivers to be viewed as a regulated activity to ensure stricter background checks.
Council and Company Responses
A Department for Transport spokesperson stated that its statutory guidance is clear that anyone convicted of a sexual offence should not be granted a licence, and that licensing decisions are made by local authorities. The guidance also recommends a 10-year ban for violent offences after sentence completion.
Tim Johnson, chief executive of Wolverhampton council, said, "Safeguarding is such a priority for us. Each application is scrutinised and considered based on local and national policies. We refuse thousands of licence applications each year." He added that Wolverhampton is the only council to carry out DBS checks on all drivers and share conviction data. "Licences are only approved if our panel would be happy for a person they care for to travel alone in a vehicle driven by this person at any time," he said.
Drivers with private hire vehicle licences work for companies like Uber and Bolt, which only allow pre-booked journeys. Both companies stated that licensing decisions are made by local authorities and that background check details are not passed to them. A Bolt spokesperson added, "Bolt's own data shows no meaningful link between where a driver is licensed and reported safety incidents." Uber and Bolt have introduced safety tools, including driver identity and vehicle details before trips.
Wolverhampton council, Uber, and Bolt all support plans to reform the taxi licensing system.
Data from Other Councils
The Guardian also requested data from Birmingham and Bradford councils. Birmingham stated that it requires enhanced DBS checks but cannot retain the information due to GDPR restrictions. A spokesperson said, "Where an applicant has a previous conviction for certain offences, our starting point is to refuse the licence. The onus is on them to convince us they are a 'fit and proper person'." Bradford council said it had data but fulfilling the request would exceed the appropriate cost limit. A spokesperson said Bradford has implemented a suitability policy to protect the public and safeguard children and vulnerable people.
