Drive to make taxis safer and greener

Stoke-on-Trent is to introduce new rules to make the city's taxis safer and greener.

The city council's cabinet approved changes that will mean all taxi owners must have DBS checks for unspent convictions and cautions.

Drivers will continue to face enhanced DBS checks and will have to attend courses about safeguarding children and vulnerable people before they begin work - and then re-attend every three years.

The new rules recommend that all drivers install CCTV in their vehicles for their own safety, and that of their passengers.

They mean drivers have to notify the council within 48 hours if they are questioned, interviewed or arrested by police. Previously the deadline was seven days.

Drivers will also have to demonstrate the right to work in the UK through a UK passport or right-to-work code.

The rules would effectively mean only electric and hybrid taxis will be licensed after April 2031. Conventional diesel or petrol taxis will be gradually phased out before then, with the least polluting, wheelchair-accessible vehicles given longer on the city's roads.

The new rules form part of a draft taxi and private hire licensing policy for 2025.

Operators and drivers have been widely consulted on the planned changes, with the majority in favour of the proposals.

Councillor Chris Robinson, cabinet member for housing, planning and governance at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “People often use taxis when they are at their most vulnerable, for example after a night out, or in the event of an emergency.

“Adding an additional layer of security to licensing policy is a vital step in community safety. We don’t want people to just get from ‘A to B’, we want passengers to feel safe and comfortable on their journey.

“It is fundamental the taxi firms play a part in building a safer and greener city for all with more than 1,760 city council licensed vehicles now operating in the city each year.”