East Herts Council is preparing to consider a number of proposed changes to its taxi and private hire licensing policies, including a plan to remove the existing limit on the number of hackney carriages that can be licensed.
The council’s Licensing Committee is due to consider the proposals at a meeting on 9 September, after officers recommended that the wording originally put out for consultation should remain unchanged.
The proposed changes cover a wide range of areas within the authority’s taxi licensing framework. These include the Licensing Record Points Scheme, vehicle age and emissions requirements, vehicle and trailer specifications, driver licence conditions, conduct and dress requirements, private hire operator conditions, and rules covering vehicle signs and advertising.
One of the most significant proposals would see East Herts remove its current limit on the number of hackney carriage vehicles that can be licensed.
However, the council’s report does not specify the current numerical limit or give a proposed date for when any change would take effect.
Consultation attracts 15 responses
The council carried out a six-week consultation between 6 July and 17 August 2026.
East Herts said affected licence holders were contacted directly when the consultation opened, with reminders also issued during the process.
A total of 15 responses were received. Two came from East Herts residents, while another was submitted anonymously.
The remaining responses came from members of the licensed taxi and private hire trade. Two submissions were made by the same individual, meaning there were 11 individual trade respondents.
Across the different policy areas, officers reported that support generally outweighed opposition.
The strongest level of support was recorded for proposed changes to the Suitability Policy, with 10 respondents agreeing fully and three disagreeing.
Changes relating to conduct and dress requirements received eight full agreements, while eight respondents also supported the proposed amendments to private hire operator conditions.
Mixed views on removing vehicle limit
The proposal to remove the hackney carriage vehicle limit produced a more divided response.
Eight respondents expressed full support for the proposal, while five opposed it.
There were no responses recorded as being partly supportive of the proposal.
Officers have recommended that the wording presented during the consultation should remain unchanged.
If the proposals progress through the council’s decision-making process, the revised policies would become part of East Herts Council’s licensing framework for taxis and private hire vehicles.
The authority says the framework is intended to support public safety.
National legislation also considered
The council has also acknowledged ongoing parliamentary discussions about potential new legislation and national standards for the taxi and private hire sector.
However, it has advised that its policy review should continue.
East Herts noted that national guidance is not binding and that local licensing authorities remain responsible for setting their own licensing policies.
The Licensing Committee will now consider the recommendations and consultation findings before deciding whether the proposed changes should move forward.