Milton Keynes City Council approved new, tougher rules for taxi licensing on 6 March 2026 to ensure passengers in the city are safer when they travel. These changes mean drivers licensed by the council will face more thorough background checks and the cars they use must meet higher safety standards across Milton Keynes.
These measures are part of an effort to protect vulnerable passengers and maintain a high quality of service for everyone. The council wants to ensure that every taxi picking up residents eventually meets the same strict safety rules, regardless of where they are licensed.
Councillor Paul Trendall, who is the Vice Chair of the Licensing Committee, said the council has been calling for these changes for several years. He explained that without updates to national law, the council remains limited in how it can manage the quality of every taxi currently operating on the city’s roads.
A major issue for the city remains drivers who are licensed by other councils but come to work in Milton Keynes. The local authority is actively asking the national government to change the law so that it is easier to oversee these drivers from outside the area.
While the council says these rules are needed for safety, the App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU) has previously expressed concerns about the extra pressure such requirements can put on drivers. The council expects the new standards to improve the reliability of local transport for all residents.
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