Derby council and taxi trade discuss communication, enforcement and future changes

Today (22 / 01 / 26 ) was the first trade meeting of 2026 between Derby council officers and representatives from the city’s taxi associations to address ongoing concerns and discuss future improvements.

Strengthening communication

Council officers assured the trade they are committed to improving communication channels. Discussions reviewed previous meeting minutes and acknowledged delays in resolving some outstanding issues, including signage updates to prevent out of town hackney plated vehicles from using bus lanes.

The trade also expressed a desire to be involved in future council initiatives, which was met positively by officers.

Key trade concerns

Local hackney associations highlighted persistent issues with out of town vehicles parking in prominent areas, including private hire and hackney plated vehicles potentially “plying for hire” without authorization.

Another point to note was in relation to on streert roadside enforcement checks. Any checks resulting in license plate removal includes office based communications, by enforcement to officers, to prioritise the return, by council officers for plates after proven remedy for infractions had taken place.

Private Hire Rules Clarified

The council reiterated that and asked DATA to communicate again that:

• Private hire drivers cannot accept unbooked fares. All rides must be booked through licensed operators.
• Private hire vehicles cannot park on taxi ranks or pick up passengers from ranks. Pre-booked passengers should be directed to safe, designated pick-up spots.

This should be standard knowledge.
The trade acknowledged that most infractions involve out of town drivers. The council suggested that the DCC trade helped with catching those breaking the rules with self policing actions and reporting violations directly to license enforcement with evidence where possible.

Future changes: Operational and digital focus

A major takeaway from the meeting is that upcoming council changes will focus on operational systems /processes and digital procedures, not on taxi or private hire licensing policy.

Officers clarified previous ambiguity around potential regulatory changes.

Conclusion

The meeting reinforced a shared commitment to stronger communication, effective enforcement, and collaboration between Derby Council and the taxi trade. Further updates are expected as operational and digital improvements are rolled out.

The next trade meeting has been set for April.
Aslo, the terms of reference for trade meetings has been updated.

Further infomation here: https://www.derby.gov.uk/licensing/taxis/taxi-vehicles/