South Cambridgeshire District Council is consulting on a new hackney carriage and private hire licensing policy. It opened at 9am on Monday 26 October 2026 and closes at 11.59pm on Sunday 29 November. Residents, visitors, taxi drivers, operators and businesses can reply. The Licensing Committee agreed in September to gather views before any final decision. Replies will be considered, and a final version will go back to that committee. The draft follows Department for Transport advice and guidance from the Institute of Licensing. Share your views on proposed taxi licensing policy changes
Door signs
The council is particularly keen to hear views on vehicle signage. For licensed private hire vehicles that are not executive exempt, the current policy requires a white council plate fixed on the rear, council door signs permanently fixed on the rear passenger and driver-side doors, an internal notice on the passenger side of the front windscreen, and the operator's name and telephone number permanently on the front doors. The council notice calls those door signs the distinctive yellow half-moon signs.
The draft in the survey would keep the half-moon signs, the internal notice and the plates permanently fixed. Operator signs would have to be displayed when a driver is working or on duty, and could be removed at other times. The question asks whether the current rules should stay as they are. Hackney Carriage and Private Hire Licensing Policy 2026
The committee first considered the review on 20 July and deferred a recommendation until it had further legal advice on door signs. The report for the 7 September meeting records that the Cambridge Taxi Driver Association asked for the livery rules to be revisited after vandalism. Cambridgeshire Police confirmed on 21 July 2026 that two offenders were convicted in April 2026 of targeting 14 vehicles and received custodial sentences. The association's own records list 57 private hire vehicles targeted, not all of them reported to the police, among a membership of just over 500 drivers. In the council notice, the committee's discussion was that permanent signage helps a passenger identify a licensed vehicle and know that a licensed driver is at the wheel.
Checks, training and trailers
The survey asks about six other changes. A new driver must currently have held a UK DVLA licence for three years. The draft would also accept a Northern Ireland, European Economic Area or community licence, still held for at least three years.
The current policy does not require a driver to keep a DBS update subscription. Under the draft, a driver renewing who has not kept that subscription, or whose DBS status has changed, would have to submit an enhanced certificate covering the adult and children's barred lists. Without it, the licence would not be approved and the driver would not be allowed to work.
An applicant would have to include a competency test pass certificate with the application. A driver who is insulin-dependent would have to provide a medical certificate every year. The survey notes that this generally covers conditions such as type 1 diabetes. Safeguarding refresher training would be every three years for drivers and every five years for non-driver operatives. Trailers used with private hire vehicles would have to meet safety standards.
Comments are also invited on the new driver code of conduct, the convictions and behaviour policy, and the penalty points scheme. The report to the September committee describes a draft code that would consider conduct on and off duty when deciding whether someone is safe and suitable to hold a licence, and would require drivers to recognise, record and report concerns about vulnerable people, exploitation and crime.
Before a decision
Cllr Laurence Damary-Homan, lead cabinet member for environment, said: "Taxis play an important role in helping people travel around our district safely and reliably. They offer a vital service in a largely rural area like South Cambridgeshire. We're carrying out this consultation because it's important our licensing policy reflects current legislation, national guidance and best practice. It also needs to make sure that high standards remain across the trade and prioritise the safety of passengers.
"We want to hear a wide range of views before any final decisions are made. Whether you are a resident, a regular taxi user, a driver, operator or local business, please take part in the consultation."
A paper copy of the survey can be requested from engage@scambs.gov.uk.