Why some Wolverhampton-licensed taxis were taken off the road

Dozens of licensed taxis were found to have safety and compliance issues with about a third of them being ordered off the road as part of a day of action.

It follows a crackdown on private hire vehicles that do not meet the required standards to carry passengers.

The operation was spearheaded by the City of Wolverhampton Council along with other local authorities and agencies, including North West Leicestershire District Council and Leicester Police.

The checks were carried out at East Midlands Airport on 24 September.

The city council teamed up with 18 other local authorities in what it called "one of the largest taxi licensing enforcement operations of its kind".

More than 200 private hire vehicles were inspected by MOT-qualified examiners who looked at tyres, brakes, seatbelt safety, and bodywork condition.

Officers from the the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) also took part to check drivers' registrations, road tax and any use of red diesel.

In total, 35 taxis were found to have non-compliance issues, the city council has said.

Of those, which were licensed by a range of authorities, nine were reported to have serious issues including faulty seatbelts, vehicle damage and tyres below the legal tread depth limit.

They were ordered off the road until the safety breaches could be fixed.

Three vehicles were found to be using illegal ghost plates, and the drivers would be issued with fixed penalty notices by police, the city council said.

Steve Wright, chairman of the Licensed Private Hire Car Association said: "It is important that all operators do check their vehicles."

Wright also said he believed faults in private hire vehicles was a growing problem because "app-companies do not have the same checks the traditional operators have".

Qaiser Azeem the Wolverhampton councillor responsible for "resident services" said it had been "a great example of our council working with others to help ensure the safety of the travelling public".

Michael Wyatt, deputy leader of North West Leicestershire District Council, said that as well as ensuring the safety of the public, they were "maintaining a level playing field for those drivers and operators who consistently meet the high standards expected of the licensed trade".

More cross-border operations are expected to take place in the future, the city council said.

The local authority said the day of action formed part of its countrywide enforcement work focused on keeping passengers safe.

"Safety is our highest priority, and our officers carry out regular enforcement activity across the country wherever our licensed drivers are working," said councillor Qaiser Azeem.

He added: "We continue to support our council colleagues in other areas in delivering compliance operations that help ensure licensed vehicles meet the standards expected of the trade."

Last year it was reported that the number of taxis licensed by the city dubbed the "taxi capital" of the UK had tripled over a period of five years.

City of Wolverhampton Council had licensed 33,893 private hire vehicles in 2025, compared to just 10,768 in 2020. However, the number had fallen from 35,708 in 2024, the highest ever licensed by the council.

Up to 96% of the licences it issued between April 2023 and the end of March 2024 were for people living and working outside the city.

The sharp rise prompted a government overhaul of out-of-area taxi work in January.

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