Post by acnedriver on Jan 8, 2023 6:52:31 GMT
Three month wait for taxi drivers as Wolverhampton 'inundated' with private licence applications
A national shortage of private hire taxi drivers has resulted in Wolverhampton Council being inundated with licence applications from outside the local authority - due to the city's faster processing times and lower fees. Until 2015, drivers and their vehicles had to be licensed within the local authority they would be working in.
However, a change in the law opened up the market nationally, allowing councils to engage in cross-border licensing. Since the change, Wolverhampton has invested heavily in its digital licensing service, thereby reducing the time and cost it takes to process applications.
But a steady decline in the number of private hire drivers nationally - triggered primarily by the consequences of Covid-19 - has resulted in increased pressure on the local authority. In a report to the council's regulatory committee, licensing manager Greg Bickerdike said: "Because of the shortage of drivers, Wolverhampton has been inundated with applications from across the country, in part due to slow processing times and high fees in their home authority.
"This has created a backlog of applications. The service is struggling to meet demand. As of December 15, 2022, there were 2,634 applications in the queue, which is approximately a two-month wait.
www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/wolverhampton-inundated-private-hire-licence-25900455
A national shortage of private hire taxi drivers has resulted in Wolverhampton Council being inundated with licence applications from outside the local authority - due to the city's faster processing times and lower fees. Until 2015, drivers and their vehicles had to be licensed within the local authority they would be working in.
However, a change in the law opened up the market nationally, allowing councils to engage in cross-border licensing. Since the change, Wolverhampton has invested heavily in its digital licensing service, thereby reducing the time and cost it takes to process applications.
But a steady decline in the number of private hire drivers nationally - triggered primarily by the consequences of Covid-19 - has resulted in increased pressure on the local authority. In a report to the council's regulatory committee, licensing manager Greg Bickerdike said: "Because of the shortage of drivers, Wolverhampton has been inundated with applications from across the country, in part due to slow processing times and high fees in their home authority.
"This has created a backlog of applications. The service is struggling to meet demand. As of December 15, 2022, there were 2,634 applications in the queue, which is approximately a two-month wait.
www.birminghammail.co.uk/black-country/wolverhampton-inundated-private-hire-licence-25900455