Taxis working in Bury should be licensed in Bury, town hall bosses have told a government inquiry.
Bury council has called for an end to out-of-area taxi licensing in evidence presented to parliament.
Bury Council, with Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and the nine other Greater Manchester licensing authorities, has submitted evidence and
feedback to the inquiry, which closed this week.
The inquiry has been looking at inconsistencies in licensing practices across local authorities, the impact of ride-hailing platforms such as Uber and Bolt, and the challenges posed by ‘out-of-area’ taxis.
Last week Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham told government ministers taxi drivers should be banned from working out-of-area to fix a ‘broken system’.
Councils and the mayor have long called for an end to the practice where cabbies licensed by one council regularly ply their trade in another part of the country, with nearly half (49pc) of private hire taxis in Greater Manchester registered to a different council, such as Wolverhampton.
A ban now seems a realistic prospect after the mayor met with key government ministers on September 4, including the transport secretary Heidi Alexander, as a key law moves through Parliament which could stop the practice.
Coun Charlotte Morris, Bury’s cabinet member for culture, the economy and skills, said: “We welcome the inquiry and hope it leads to meaningful reform.
“One of the most pressing issues is out-of-area licensing, which undermines local enforcement and public confidence.
“We want to see this loophole closed so that all licensing authorities can apply fair and proportionate enforcement within their own boundaries. “This is about protecting the travelling public and supporting responsible, local drivers.”
Bury Council’s position aligns with the ‘Backing Our Taxis: Local. Licensed. Trusted.’ campaign, which calls on the government to grant mayoral combined authorities new powers to license and regulate taxi and private hire vehicles more effectively.
These powers would ensure that all vehicles operating in Greater Manchester meet consistent safety and quality standards, regardless of where they are licensed.
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