Differences in taxi licensing between authorities continue to cause confusion for taxi drivers and passengers, especially in more remote areas.
The scale of the problem has recently been highlighted in Cumbria, where six district councils and a county council were merged into two authorities last year. The region is now governed by Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council, with three of the former district councils in each.
Confusion
But a year after the restructure, the BBC reports that differences in licensing rules between the old councils are still “confusing” and are putting passengers at risk. One driver told the BBC there are particular difficulties getting taxis at night, with passengers struggling to get home to towns that are several miles apart, with limited or no bus service.
Barrow-in-Furness driver George Harkin said it is the differences in fares and rules in Barrow and nearby Ulverston that make it difficult for people to get taxis between the two towns which both now come under Westmorland and Furness Council.
He said: “Barrow taxi drivers are not allowed to park on the Ulverston rank and Ulverston taxi drivers are not allowed to on the Barrow rank.
“There’s always been a problem of safety with people getting home. I’ve found people walking up a bypass in the pitch black, trying to get maybe seven miles from Ulverston to Barrow, because they haven’t been able to get a taxi.”
Although Mr Harkin helped launch an app-based taxi-booking service called Appy Cabs for passengers in the town, he said it is impractical to use because Ulverston drivers charge higher fares than drivers in Barrow.
Different standards
As well as confusion and concerns about safety, the cost of maintaining and licensing taxis varies between the areas, further disadvantaging some drivers.
Workington cabbie Ian Tyson told the BBC that taxi firms in the town must have their cars checked at a garage four times a year, while those in other areas are required to have fewer checks.
He said: “It’s thousands of pounds into our costs, what the others don’t have. You can’t compete.”
Drivers are understandably frustrated that more than a year after the restructure, they are still being governed by taxi policies drawn up by the former councils.
Both new councils are working to create standard licencing policies in their own areas. Cumberland Council told the BBC it is working to “create one system”, while the Westmorland and Furness authority said it was “committed to improving” its services.
Consultation
A Westmorland and Furness spokesperson said a new policy was under development and a consultation was anticipated to start in the summer.
They added: “This consultation will take into account the harmonisation of all aspects of the licensing of Hackney carriages including fares across the former authority areas in Westmorland and Furness.
“Following this, any recommended proposal will require approval from the Secretary of State before any changes can be applied.”
A spokesperson for Cumberland Council said: “We acknowledge that there are some differences in the approach to licensing within the Cumberland area.
“As a new authority we are working to create one system and this will be shared for consultation over the next few months.”
The reorganisation of councils in regions such as Cumbria are complicated and take time. The situation with taxi licensing reflects the issues that will be faced with national taxi licensing proposals.
There is nothing that cannot be resolved, but taxi drivers in areas with the lower fares and having more frequent vehicle inspections are paying a disproportionate cost in the meantime.
And while each authority comes up with its own, fairer licensing policy, it would make more sense to create a single licensing standard for the whole of Cumbria as passengers will not just want to go to towns within just Cumberland or Westmorland and Furness.
