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Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (Wales) Bill

Dr Georgina Bensted
Dr Georgina Bensted

On Tuesday, the Deputy Minister for Climate Change in Wales, Lee Waters MS, gave an update about taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) and the next steps the Welsh Government are introducing a new licensing scheme.

The Welsh Government wishes to make taxis and PHVs “safer, fairer and greener”, using a Wales-wide licensing scheme to co-ordinate approaches between taxi and PHV services and the wider public transport system. The Welsh Government’s White Paper published in March 2023, set out the Welsh Government’s proposals, which are set to run in tandem with the Welsh Government’s changes to bus governance and target of 45% of journeys to be by sustainable modes of transport by 2040.

The core proposals of the Welsh Government are:

·       The introduction of Wales-wide mandatory minimum standards for drivers, vehicles and operators;

·       Improved enforcement powers for local authorities, which include provisions to take enforcement action against any driver or vehicle; and

·       Better information sharing between local authorities, and better information for passengers.

The Minister has also dropped the Welsh Government’s target of zero emissions taxi vehicles by 2028, instead expecting taxi and PHV operators to transition in line with the rest of the car market.

The White Paper has received broad support from stakeholders in the industry, alongside other political parties, although points about safety were raised by both Plaid Cymru and Welsh Conservatives. The Welsh Government is currently looking to work with the sector on potential costs of the new standards; how enforcement and safety standards will work; and the issue “multi-apping” or the case of drivers cancelling last minute because they use multiple booking apps.

For a bird's eye view.
Am olwg oddi uchod.

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