Public addresses relating to matters of business for this agenda, up to five minutes is available for each public address.

The request to speak accompanied by the full text of the address must be received by the Director of Law, Governance and Strategy by 5.00 pm on Tuesday 3 February 2026.

The Chair invited Mr. Sajad Khan, Secretary of the City of Oxford Licensed Taxicab Association (COLTA), to address the Committee. 

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Dear Members of the General Purposes Licensing Committee,  

I acknowledge and express appreciation for Oxford City Licensing’s proposal NOT to increase licensing fees this year. At a time when many sectors are facing rising operational costs, this decision is welcome and provides some relief to those of us working hard to sustain our livelihoods in the Hackney carriage trade. There are issues that impact us and vital that I must explain here.  

Firstly, with the substantial increase in the number of private hire vehicles licensed by Oxford City Council and are now operating in Oxford due to the introduction of Uber, many within our trade had expected that licensing fees would be REDUCED. The logic behind this expectation is simple: a larger licensed fleet should, in principle, ease the financial burden on the licensing department. For the first time ever we have witnessed private hire license plate numbers go beyond the figure of 1000 (the exact number of Private hire vehicles licensed in Oxford is currently unknown). Over the past few months, a significant amount of private hire vehicles are being licensed in Oxford.  

Secondly, as you will be aware, our trade continues to struggle immensely due to a severe and prolonged lack of work. The combined impact of changing travel patterns, closure of nightclubs and the deceitful competition from Uber and the overall decline in footfall across the city has left many drivers facing financial hardship. A reduction in licensing fees would therefore have provided meaningful support at a time when it is needed most.  

Thirdly and equally important, is the fact that Oxford City licensing fee structure in comparison to South Oxfordshire council is considerably higher, especially for electric vehicles, which is counter-intuitive given the council’s stated climate goals. The difference is large enough to impact driver finances. We pay significantly higher for our drivers and vehicle license fees:  

1. For a yearly vehicle licence in Oxford, the owners of the standard Hackney Carriage (diesel) pay £472 a year and the LEVC (electric) owners pay £354 a year.  

For a 3 years driver’s license in Oxford, drivers pay £452.40  

1. For a yearly driver’s license in South Oxfordshire, the owners of a standard taxi pay £389 a year (£83 less than Oxford) and the owners of any zero emissions capable, wheelchair accessible taxi pay £110 a year (£244 less than Oxford).  

For a 3 years driver’s license in South Oxfordshire, drivers pay £395 (£57.40 less than Oxford) 

This doesn’t include the additional cost we pay towards the Safeguarding and Disability Awareness Course every 3 years, the fee for the DBS update service and the taxi medical.  

I respectfully ask the Committee to take these concerns into account and to consider whether further support for the Hackney carriage trade may be possible, whether through fee adjustments, targeted relief, or alternative measures that recognise the critical role we play in providing a safe and reliable public transport service for Oxford’s residents and visitors.  

On a final point, as it’s vital that the Committee are also made aware of the fact that, owners of the LEVC electric taxi are facing considerable challenges sourcing essential mechanical components, many of which have been on back order for months. Unsurprisingly, these delays are now directly affecting their ability to present their taxi for compliance testing at the ODS (Marsh Road), creating further disruption and operational difficulties. There must be a collective agreement between this Committee, the Licensing Department, and ODS to ensure that no LEVC cab is taken off the road unreasonably due to the ongoing shortage of mechanical components. This is particularly important where a vehicle remains roadworthy and does not present any safety risk.  

Thank you for your time and I would welcome the opportunity to engage further on these matters and contribute to any future discussions.  

Yours sincerely,  

Mr. Sajad Khan  

END 

The Chair thanked Mr. Khan for his address and advised the Committee that officers would respond at the opening of item 8 on the agenda.