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Posted on the 20th March 2025 in PHTM News
WILTSHIRE COUNCIL'S SCHOOL ONLY LICENCE PLAN RAISES CONCERNS
Wiltshire Council is exploring school-only taxi licences to address a surge in demand for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) transport in the county, but officials warn the plan is fraught with risks.
Around 1,800 SEND students in Wiltshire require daily transportation to education placements. Facing an 11% annual increase in SEND transport needs, the council is considering a model used by 30 other authorities.
However, the taxi licensing team has raised serious concerns about enforceability and potential abuse.
A report presented to the licensing committee on Monday, 17 March, stated: "The taxi licensing team is concerned that a school only licence would be open to abuse and could be seen as a shortcut to a full private hire licence."
With only 854 licensed vehicles and 730 SEND contracts, the council acknowledges a significant strain on its resources.
"It is clear vehicle and driver capacity cannot be met from taxis licensed in Wiltshire alone," the report stated, highlighting the urgency of finding a solution.
“This can lead to issues with a lack of provision in our towns at certain times of the day and the team has received feedback from the public to this effect.”
The core issue, according to officials, lies in enforcement. "The licence would be very difficult to enforce, it would be very difficult to ensure school only licensed drivers did not undertake standard private hire work," the report explained.
With only two enforcement officers covering the entire county, the team argues that they "could not effectively enforce a school only licence regime."
While a reduced licence fee could be offered, the report clarifies that "the applicant would still have to undergo all the same tests and licensing requirements."
Although it is acknowledged that some drivers with no interest of working outside the school shifts would see the appeal of a school only licence, the taxi licensing team concluded that they did not see the overall benefit in it.
It believes that potential drivers would likely opt for a standard private hire licence, which offers greater earning potential rather than a slightly cheaper school only licence that restricts them to school contract work.
To determine the viability of the plan, the council has proposed a consultation with taxi operators and school transport providers. This aims to establish if there is sufficient interest and to understand the underlying causes of the driver shortage.
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