If you work in the taxi and private hire trade you might have heard of the Institute of Licensing. While you may have heard of them, you might not be aware of what their role is in the industry. In this article we look at who they are and what they do. 

As hospitality and nigh-time venues reopen across the UK it is a boon to the taxi and private hire industry. Having been without regular business for the past 18 months many drivers are finding themselves busier than ever. But it’s not all good news.

While you might be familiar with DBS Checks, licensing authorities may ask you to provide a Certificate of Good Conduct. If you have spent long periods of time in other countries, these certificates help provide licensing authorities with all the information they need to make a decision.

In recent years, the number of crimes committed by people posing as taxi or private hire drivers has been rising. It can be easy to fall victim to these criminals but there are things to look out for. In this article we look at some of the key things to be aware of.

Uber has been a polarising name in the taxi and private hire industry for a while, but it seems that the public is catching up. In a recent study using Twitter, it was found that the UK public harbour more negativity towards Uber than any other brand, making it the nation’s ‘most hated’.

Ride-hailing is often thought to be a greener way to travel than taking your own car. New research is starting to emerge that shows that the reverse could be true. Increased pollution, congestion and crashes can all be attributed to ride-hailing.

Hype in the news and on social media has led many people to be concerned about a shortage of fuel. Despite multiple sources confirming there is enough fuel to go around, panic buyers are causing problems for those needing fuel to work. This is impacting the livelihoods of taxi and private hire drivers across the country.

Signing up to the DBS Update Service is essential to streamlining your application for your taxi, hackney or private hire licence. If you don’t sign up, you will have to repeat a DBS Check every 6 months. In this guide we tell you exactly what you need to do to sign up.

A majority of Taxi and private hire drivers surveyed by TaxiPoint said they felt the EV charging network in their areas was not ready to cope with a large-scale switch to EV or PHEVs. Could including EV charging points on new homes and offices be enough to make a difference?

This year has seen licensing authorities introduce a range of new rules based on the new statutory guidance from the DfT. The biggest shake-up of taxi and private hire guidance since the introduction of the Enhanced DBS Check, is also seeing several councils introducing new standards for drivers.

Uber’s new Local Cab feature has now been active for a few weeks. For some, this has been lauded as a way to combat loss of earnings following the pandemic. Opponents to the scheme fear that it is allowing Uber to compete as a private hire operator in areas where it isn’t licensed.

Greater Manchester has received the green light for the introduction of its Clean Air Zone. Touted as one of Europe's biggest, the new Clean Air Zone will be introduced on 30 May 2022. Taxi and private hire firms need to be aware of the coming changes and how they will affect them.

In recent months, Uber’s practice of ‘surge pricing’ has come under more scrutiny. Anyone who's used Uber will be familiar with its practice of surge pricing but even regular customers are claiming that surge prices are increasing to rates they have never seen before. In this article, we take a look at exactly how surge pricing works.

Research from industry publication, TaxiPoint, has shown that over 80% of UK cabbies have a desire to move to greener vehicles but aren’t financially able to. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic combined with national and local government inaction is meaning the push for a greener industry is being delayed.

The number of taxi and private hire licences issued over the past 12 months have dropped significantly, according to the most recent government figures. While this could increase wait times for passengers, it could in fact be a lifeline for struggling drivers who, thanks to coronavirus, have been struggling to find fares.

New filtering guidance for criminal convictions were issued by the government earlier this year. Certain convictions now have different rules relating to how and if they are disclosed on a DBS Certificate. In this article we look at what this means for drivers applying for their taxi badge.

Last week's announcement that the supposed ‘temporary’ increase in central London’s congestion charge is to be made permanent was met with outrage from many in the transport industry. In response, the union for private hire drivers, GMB, are seeking an exemption for an industry already hit hard by the pandemic.

iCabbi have recently launched a new business venture aimed at providing security for independent taxi and private hire providers across the UK. The Taxi Alliance will be a jointly owned operation providing firms the security to thrive in the face of increasing pressures from tech giants.

Sadiq Khan and Transport for London have announced this week that a temporary 30% price increase for the ULEZ congestion charge introduced in June of last year is to be made permanent. Introduced as part of the government’s conditions for a £1.6 emergency bailout for London transport, many are widely criticising the U-turn.

As of Monday 19th July, the so-called ‘Freedom Day’, it is no longer legally mandated that face-coverings must be worn in enclosed public spaces. Despite this, the government still recommends their use in the majority of situations. Many transport organisations have made the decision to continue mandating them as a requirement after this date.