Taxi licence fees in Powys are set to increase from 1 Apri, 2025, following a decision made by the county council’s Planning, Taxi Licensing and Right of Way committee on Thursday, 21 November.

The proposed eight per cent increase is estimated to generate an additional £6,300 for the council. This revenue will be used to cover the costs of processing and administering taxi licences and is "not for profit."

Licensing team manager Natalie Jones said: "Cost prices between local authorities vary for a number of reasons such as the number of staff employed and their pay level at various stages of the process.”

The fee increases are based on a "toolkit" developed by the All-Wales Licensing Expert Panel, which takes into account various factors such as the number of licences issued and the complexity of the licensing process.

The proposed fees for 2025/2026 are based on last year’s (2023/2024) costs and are as follows:

• Hackney carriage private hire (1 year): £155 (up from £150)
• Driver licence (3 years): £300 (up from £284)
• Private Hire Operators (5 years): £357 (up from £355)
• Knowledge test: £45 (up from £40)

Please note that these fees do not include the cost of DBS checks.

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Plymouth is set to become the first location in Devon to welcome Uber after the city council's licensing committee approved its application for an operator's licence. UK-based firm Smartzi, was also granted one. 

The committee was asked to consider whether the directors of Uber and Smartzi are considered fit and proper people to be granted a Private Hire Vehicle Operator’s Licence - a key requirement under the Plymouth City Council Act 1975. It was also asked to determine the appropriate length of time a licence should be granted and whether any conditions should be imposed on the licence.

Earlier this year Uber Britannia Limited applied for a private hire vehicle operator licence for five years, with the intention of having 160 vehicles licensed per year. In contrast, Smartzi’s application, submitted in March, proposed a single licensed vehicle per year over the same period. 

While Uber is a global giant, known for its controversial employment practices, Smartzi positions itself as an "ethical technology business" promising better service and lower fares.

The taxi licensing committee report stated: "Officers recognise that if this application is granted it will potentially affect other private hire operators in the city – the committee is reminded that this is not a factor to be considered when deciding the application."

The decision comes amid concerns about a shortage of taxi drivers in Plymouth, which has been impacting the hospitality sector and raising safety concerns, particularly for women.

Following the committee meeting on 21 November, a spokesperson for the council said: "Uber and Smartzi will be able to operate services in the city after the committee decided both met the council’s taxi licensing policy criteria. Both have been given a private hire vehicle operator licence for five years.

"The decision was unanimous by the committee after it heard that both applicants complied with the legislation and policies that govern how taxis operate in the city. A licence has to be granted where all policy and legal requirements are met."

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Thirty years after the brutal murder of Nottingham taxi driver Ethsham Ul-Haq Ghafoor, known as Shami, his family is renewing their plea for answers as Nottinghamshire Police re-open the cold case.

The 26-year-old was found shot dead in the early hours of November 22, 1994, bound to the steering wheel of his taxi on Lambley Lane Playing Fields in Gedling.

On the 30th anniversary of the killing, police launched a fresh appeal, with Crimestoppers offering a £50,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of those responsible.

At the time of his death Mr Ghafoor was expecting a baby daughter with his wife, with whom he also had a son.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Shami’s sister, Aisha, expressed the family’s enduring pain and frustration. “He was the heart of our family,” she said. “We’re still living with loss and pain. Please, end our agony.”

Previous attempts by the Notts Police to find answers have been unsuccessful, with the weapon used in the killing never recovered.

Arrests were made as part of past investigations but no-one has yet been convicted for the murder.

Notts Police now say there are “still viable lines of enquiry” due to advances in forensic science – which means items from the scene of the crime can be examined.

The taxi driver was last seen with three Asian man in his cab – a black and white Ford Sierra car – in Carlton Square around 2am, according to the force. His body was found two-and-a-half hours later.

Police believe Shami may have been targeted due to his association with local organised crime, though they emphasise he was not directly involved in criminal activity.

Detective Chief Superintendent Rob Griffin said: “I think he found himself out of his depth, which may be why he was killed.

“I’m absolutely certain there are people out there who have information about this murder.

"This family deserves justice.”

The police are looking to speak specifically to taxi drivers, a community in which Mr Ghafoor was well-known.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. The reward is only available through information passed to the organisation and is due to expire on 22 February 2025.

Information can also be passed to Notts Police on 101.

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Highlands and Islands Road Policing Officers along with partners from Highland Council Trading Standards, carried out roadside checks on taxis and private hire cars as part of an engagement initiative ahead of the festive season.

On Thursday 14 and Friday 15 November, 2024, a number of patrols were carried out in the Inverness and Fort William areas with 21 taxis and private hire cars being stopped and checked.

A total of 15 licensing infringements were detected, which were dealt with by Trading Standards.

Four vehicle defects were found with warnings given or the opportunity to rectify these under the Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme.

Road Policing Constable Ben Cruickshank said: “We carried out this operation with our partners ahead of the festive season to ensure that people using taxis or private hire cars can get home safely and everyone can enjoy the season.

“It was also another opportunity for us to give advice and highlight to drivers the importance of regular checks to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy. We were keen to highlight the dangers and serious consequences of not keeping vehicles up to the required standard.”

Mark McGinty, Trading Standards Team Leader, said: “Operations of this nature not only offer an opportunity to gain a snapshot of the level of trade compliance with licensing laws and conditions but also they allow for direct engagement between the trade and the enforcement community.

“This dialogue has always been positive be it for the giving of general advice or as a push for those found to have non-compliances, to rectify and raise the standards of what they do to meet that expected of them.”

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A Stockton driver has been stripped of his taxi/private hire licence following a series of incidents, including a hit-and-run, intimidation, littering and driving at police.

The driver, whose name has not been disclosed, initially denied involvement in a hit-and-run incident, claiming to be asleep at home at the time. However, he later changed his story, admitting to being the driver but denying the collision and any attempt to evade witnesses, despite CCTV evidence to the contrary.

He later said he had been lying and "waffling" to cover up for his son who was really driving his car without his knowledge while he was in bed on April 2. 

In another incident, the driver was accused of littering and intimidating a member of the public. He admitted to littering but denied any aggressive behaviour. The complainant, however, testified that the driver followed her home and took a photo of her house, leaving her feeling intimidated.

The final complaint concerned CCTV "showing a private hire vehicle involved in facilitating drug dealing". According to Cleveland Police officers, the car was "driven towards the police car at speed and then on to a footpath to get away" when confronted in the early hours of May 15.

The driver's car was identified and his PH licence suspended the next day. He confirmed he was the sole driver of the vehicle, but told police his son - who did not have a full licence and was learning to drive - was behind the wheel at the time, claiming to be taking it to McDonald's. He said he now took his keys upstairs to stop it happening again.

A licensing committee hearing concluded that the driver's explanations for the various incidents were "dubious" and "insincere." The panel expressed concern about his attitude, rule-breaking behaviour, and his ability to ensure the safety of his passengers.

The committee heard of his PH licence history, including a suspension because of a fraud prosecution in 2004, advice over his attitude and overcharging and written warnings for using a phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt, failing to declare a motoring conviction and a shoplifting conviction revealed in a DBS check between 2007 and 2014.

The committee ultimately decided he was not a fit and proper person and revoked the driver's licence, citing his "intimidating and distressing behaviour" towards the witness and his history of disciplinary issues.

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