Milton Keynes City Council agreed on Wednesday 23 September 2026, by consensus, that the cabinet member responsible for taxi licensing should write to the Minister for Buses and Local Transport. The letter is to seek tighter control of taxis and private hire vehicles working in the city on licences issued elsewhere.
Councillor Sam Crooks, cabinet member for regulatory services, moved the motion, and Councillor Jane Carr, the leader, seconded it. The council heard from two members of the public and from councillors Marlow and Clarke. MKFM reported the decision on Friday 6 November 2026.
Under current legislation, including the Deregulation Act 2015, a private hire vehicle may lawfully work outside the area in which it is licensed. The motion estimates that around 45% of licensed vehicles operating in Milton Keynes are licensed by other authorities, including Buckinghamshire, London, Wolverhampton, Luton, Bedfordshire and West Northamptonshire.
In 2025, council officers carried out 2,132 checks on out-of-area drivers and vehicles. Approximately 45% of licensing enforcement time was spent on vehicles licensed elsewhere. The council could not recover that cost, leaving local taxpayers to bear it. During the same year the council received 89 complaints about out-of-area vehicles and drivers. Those complaints had to be referred to the authority that issued the licence. Only ten successful prosecutions were brought against drivers licensed by other authorities.
Milton Keynes requires safeguarding and equality training, including education on domestic abuse, with completion recorded, and White Ribbon training. Other licensing authorities do not consistently require those measures.
The letter
The letter is to welcome the government's recognition of the problems caused by out-of-area working, and to call for reforms that give local authorities greater control over vehicles predominantly operating in their area. The council wants the government to consider requiring drivers to be licensed within the local authority, or future Strategic Authority, for the area where they predominantly work or live, while legitimate cross-boundary journeys would still be allowed.
It also wants councils and future Strategic Authorities to have stronger powers to keep licensing, safety and enforcement standards consistent for vehicles operating in their areas, and for the authority that issued a licence to meet the cost of enforcement.
The director of environment and property is to continue working with neighbouring licensing authorities and Thames Valley Police, sharing intelligence and supporting enforcement. The regulatory committee is to keep monitoring how out-of-area vehicles affect enforcement resources, and to use Milton Keynes' experience in the national discussion of licensing reform.
A check at the station
The MKFM report included a case at Milton Keynes Central Station. A private hire driver licensed by Luton Borough Council refused to provide his badge details during a routine check and drove away. Milton Keynes City Council prosecuted him for obstructing an authorised officer, and he was ordered to pay £1,596. Any decision to suspend or revoke his licence remained with Luton.
The motion records an earlier attempt to go further. Milton Keynes previously sought legal action to strengthen its regulation of out-of-area vehicles operating in the city, and the High Court ruled against the council in 2017.
One standard for every driver
Councillor Sam Crooks said: "Whether you're getting home after a night out or travelling to work, you should be able to trust that every driver working in Milton Keynes meets the same high safety standards.
"Our officers work hard to protect passengers, but the current system limits the action they can take against drivers licensed elsewhere. The case at the train station shows exactly why change is needed. We want consistent safety standards and stronger local powers so residents' concerns can be dealt with.
"Passengers would still be able to travel across council boundaries. These changes would create a fairer system that protects passengers, supports responsible drivers and gives taxpayers better value for money."