A Cumbrian council wants to unify taxi standards and prices across its area.
Westmorland & Furness Council has launched a six-week community conversation to get feedback from people about its new taxi licensing policy.
The council is responsible for the area previously run by Eden, South Lakes and Barrow district authorities – and each of those had their own rules and guidelines for taxis.
The authority said: “Residents and visitors experiences of journey prices and vehicle quality can also differ when traveling across the area.”
Its new licensing policy, it said, aimed to ensure that all hackney carriage and private hire drivers followed national best practices, which would improve vehicle standards, reduce harmful emissions, protect the environment, and ensure passenger safety.
Westmorland & Furness Council said: “The community conversation invites drivers to share their views on how the proposed changes may affect their work and what they feel would be a reasonable timeframe for introducing the new standards.
“It will also help the council understand taxi users’ experiences and what is most important to them.”
The proposed changes would remove the existing operating zones for hackney carriage vehicles which currently restrict drivers to applying for a licence within only one of the former council areas. This would allow all hackney carriage drivers and vehicles licensed by the council to operate for hire anywhere in Westmorland and Furness.
Licence types would also be changed, making it easier for drivers to operate hackney carriage and private hire vehicles under a single dual licence and for one fee.
It would reduce costs for drivers and give them greater flexibility to work across the taxi and private hire trade in the area, the council said.
Currently, In Eden and South Lakeland vehicle age restrictions apply. Under the new policy there would be no age limit. Instead, it focuses on environmental performance and safety.
From April 2026, any new vehicle not previously licensed with the council would need to meet Euro 6 emissions, a European standard that ensures vehicles produce much lower levels of harmful exhaust gases, such as nitrogen oxides and particulates.
To support drivers with vehicles currently licensed by the authority, a grace period of up to three years would be allowed before they must upgrade to meet the new standards.
Proposed changes to vehicle testing and safety requirements would mean that taxis over eight years old must undergo up to three MoT tests a year.
The requirement of drivers to hold an Enhanced DBS safeguarding checks would continue, alongside medical assessments every three years or annually for drivers aged 65 and over.
The policy would also launch a single restricted private hire driver licence at a lower fee designed specifically for drivers who wish to carry out school transport and social care contract work on behalf of the council.
The new licence aims to help increase the number of drivers available for the vital community services, the council added.
Taxi drivers and operators, businesses, residents and visitors can share their views by completing an online survey available on the council’s website or from next week, a paper copy available at Barrow Town Hall, Kendal Town Hall or Penrith’s Voreda House.
The council’s licensing team are also running drop in events for residents, operators and taxi drivers to ask questions about the proposed changes at:
- Barrow Library on Monday 13 October from 12.30pm to 5pm and Monday 20 October from 9.30am to 1.30pm
- Kendal Library on Wednesday 15 October from 12.30pm to 5pm and Friday 17 October from 12.30pm to 5pm
- Penrith Library on Thursday 16 October from 12.30pm to 5pm and Monday 27 October from 9.30am to 5pm
- The Coro, Ulverston on Tuesday 21 October from 9.30am to 1.30pm
- Windermere Library on Tuesday 14 October from 12.30am to 5pm.
Feedback will be presented to the council’s cabinet in January. If the new policy is approved it will come into effect from April next year.
