Plans to loosen laws regulating taxis will be voted on in the House of Lords on Tuesday amid warnings from safety campaigners that passengers will be put at risk.
The changes would allow taxi firms to subcontract bookings to other operators, and end the annual renewal of licenses.
A range of charities, Labour, and almost half of the country’s elected police commissioners have voiced opposition to plans for taxis laid down in a wider deregulation bill, brought by the coalition to reduce the number of rules affecting businesses.
Ministers have already backed down on a proposal to allow anyone to drive a licensed vehicle when it is off duty, due to fears that rogue drivers would find it easier to operate illegally. But campaigners believe the two remaining clauses still pose risks.
Mary Creagh, shadow transport secretary, said: “The government’s disastrous proposals to deregulate taxis risk putting women in danger. Despite months of warnings from Labour and safety campaigners ministers are pressing ahead with their risky plans to loosen taxi licensing and allow cabs to work out of area.
“Labour will be opposing these irresponsible changes to taxi law. Ministers need urgently to review these measures and we repeat our offer to work with them to get the rogues off the road.”
Polling from the Local Government Association (LGA) indicated that 80% of women would be concerned if they booked a journey with one firm and a different one turned up.
The moves to deregulation come soon after potential dangers highlighted by the inquiry into the Rotherham abuse scandal, which reported that “one of the common threads running through child sexual exploitation across England has been the prominent role of taxi drivers in being directly linked to children who were abused”.
Organisations ranging from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust to the National Private Hire Association and unions Unite and GMB oppose the plans. Ann Lucas of the LGA said: “Councils support comprehensive reform of taxi licensing but on the basis of the whole of the recent Law Commission report and not through this unwise piecemeal approach that could have a negative impact on public safety.”
The clauses only apply outside the capital, as London’s taxis are regulated by the city’s transport authority, Transport for London.
