Proposed changes to Peterborough City Council’s Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2026–2031 aim to strengthen passenger and driver safety, update vehicle standards and support a professional, responsible, licensed trade across the city.
Residents, visitors, licensed drivers, vehicle proprietors, private hire operators, businesses and partner organisations are invited to share their views through public consultation. Peterborough City Council’s Licensing Committee approved proceeding to consultation at its meeting on 8 October 2026. Feedback will help shape the final policy before any decisions on adoption and implementation are made.
The review updates Peterborough’s existing 2022 policy and considers local needs, legislation, national guidance and recognised industry best practice. Public safety, safeguarding, accessibility and clear, proportionate licensing requirements remain central to the proposals.
Key proposals include stronger safeguarding measures reflecting the Department for Transport’s statutory standards; robust financial checks for all new and renewal private hire operator applications; and revised vehicle age and emissions requirements. The draft includes a maximum licensing age of 18 years for zero-emission vehicles, replacing the ultra-low-emission vehicle category with mild, full and plug-in hybrid categories, and removing the maximum CO₂ emissions limit. A review of the approved hackney carriage vehicle list would also consider a wider choice of modern, affordable vehicles.
The consultation also seeks views on vehicle testing, including replacing the current certificate of compliance approach with a DVSA MOT-based model while retaining Aragon as the priority testing site. We are considering appointing a limited number of additional DVSA-authorised MOT testing centres, subject to procurement and council standards, to improve appointment availability, flexibility and resilience.
Other proposals include removing the vehicle critical-failure criteria that require specified repairs within one month, and removing the requirement to display Part 1 and Part 2 notices inside licensed vehicles where alternative identification arrangements are available. The draft also clarifies licensing requirements and operator responsibilities to make the policy easier for applicants and licence holders to understand.
We want to understand how the proposals could affect passenger safety, accessibility, service availability, driver and operator costs, and environmental performance. All proposals remain subject to consultation and final consideration. Responses will be reported back to the Licensing Committee before the final policy is put forward for adoption by Full Council, with implementation arrangements confirmed as part of that process.
View the draft policy
Have your say - complete the survey
The survey runs from Monday 9 November 2026 until midday on Friday 18 December 2026.