Taxi and private hire trade information

Latest news

Latest travel and roadworks news and updates:

Chapel Road, Liverpool Road & Richmond Road, Worthing

Road & traffic disruption:
Monday 24th March to 3rd June 2025:

Details of major Road works affecting Chapel Road, Liverpool Road & Richmond Road have been provided by Hemiko. They include impending road closures and traffic redirection in Richmond Road, Chapel Road and Liverpool Road starting Monday 24th March 2025. We are sorry for not advising of these changes sooner but they were only confirmed to us on 20th March 2025.

The Chapel Road taxi rank will still be accessible, but there will be no southbound approach down Chapel Road from Richmond Road as this will be under excavation.

Instead the trade will have to access the Chapel Road rank via Liverpool Road and Liverpool Gardens. A change to the direction of travel on Liverpool Road will allow southbound traffic to access the rank, via TK Maxx and Barclays Bank as detailed on the attached map. Hackney Carriages waiting on the rank will need to queue the opposite way to normal, facing north up Chapel Road from outside the Slug & Lettuce as the head of the rank.

The works are scheduled to start from Monday 24th March and continue to the 2nd June 2025.

Further Chapel Road update:

The A&W Taxi Licensing Team has been notified of an amendment to Chapel Road Temporary Traffic Regulation regarding the current works taking place on Chapel Road, Worthing for the Worthing Heat Network.

Currently, these works are prohibiting Southbound traffic from Richmond Road to Chatsworth Road before they were due to undertake works between the junction with Richmond Road to Chapel Road roundabout from 5th May. However, due to delays with these works, both phases of works will be taking place from 12th May 2025 and will entail no Southbound traffic between Chapel Road Roundabout and Chatsworth Road. These works are predicted to be completed by 2nd June 2025.

Other upcoming road closures

The A&W Taxi Licensing Team has been notified of a further three temporary road closures:

  • High Street & Union Place: 2nd June to 21st July 2025
  • Richmond Road: 2nd June to 27th July 2025
  • Strand Parade Roundabout / Bolsover Road: 11th August to 29th August 2025

The notices are attached for you to view:

For any questions regarding these please email:

We will update you with any additional information as we get it.

If you wish to discuss then contact the licensing team:

or use the:

The latest traffic reports can be found live on the One Platform website which allows you to plan, monitor, communicate and analyse traffic disruptions in the local area:

The Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) consultation section on the West Sussex County Council (WSCC) website includes plans showing new restrictions, public notices and statement of reasons for proposing orders:

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Taxi Trade Liaison Group (and meetings)

Important notice for all taxi and private hire licence holders: The Taxi Licensing Team has permanently relocated to the councils' site at 9 Commerce Way, Lancing Business Park, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8TA. All contact details remain unchanged.

Driver & operator licence enquiries, vehicle licence inspections, and all other taxi enquiries & applications: are now processed at Commerce Way, Lancing.

Commerce Way appointments: to see a member of the taxi licensing team you must get an appointment. If you are attending an appointment:

  • you enter through the site gates, at the end of the road, and park in the dedicated taxi bay directly opposite the entrance. If occupied you must reverse park in the visitor bays on the right of the gate entrance.
  • you can stay in your vehicle and telephone the licensing office on 01273 263144 for an officer to meet you at the vehicle, or you can go to the main reception and use the buzzer on the reception desk to notify the taxi team that you are there. An officer will attend as soon as possible
  • there is a manned reception (9am to 5pm) but taxi officers work on a strict appointment only basis. Callers without an appointment are unlikely to be seen by a taxi licensing officer.
  • Find the Adur & Worthing Taxi Offices in Commerce Way, Lancing - on Google Maps

If you have any questions or require an appointment: then do not hesitate to contact the licensing office at:

Notice to the Worthing Hackney Carriage Trade

Hackney Carriage Fare table increase.

On 10th February 2025 the council decided, in accordance with its powers under section 65 Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, to increase the tariff charged by Hackney Carriages as detailed below:

No objection to the new tariff was received during the public consultation, therefore, the new tariff shall take effect on or thereafter 7th March 2025. 

The A&W taxi team have organiser the meter companies to be available to install the tariff on WBC Hackney Carriage vehicle meters and the Worthing Hackney Carriage trade have been notified by email. The tariff update will take place at Brooklands West Car Park, Brighton Road, Worthing, from 10:30am to 12:30pm on Thursday 13th March 2025. 

Trade meetings

The councils' licensing unit regularly holds meetings with both the Adur and Worthing hackney carriage and private hire trades.

Discussions at these meetings can range from changes in legislation to local communication between the councils, trade and public. Recent discussions have included congestion, air pollution, wheelchair accessible vehicles, a disabled user's charter and unlicensed activity.

All licensed drivers, proprietors and operators are invited. Guests at meetings may include local councillors, trade union representatives, the Highways Agency and other organisations.

A date for the next meeting is to be announced.

Transport for the South East: Transport strategy

Transport for the South East is the sub-national transport body for the south east of England. Its purpose is to determine what investment is needed to transform our region's transport system and drive economic growth. Transport for the South East was established to determine what transport infrastructure is needed to boost the region's economy.

The partnership is made up of:

  • 16 local authorities
  • five local enterprise partnerships
  • plus representatives of district and borough authorities, protected landscapes and national delivery agencies

The transport strategy for a more connected, productive and sustainable south east can be found on the:

Department for Transport: taxi and private hire statistics

The Department for Transport releases the official taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) statistics each year that give some interesting insights into the hackney carriage and private hire industry.

You can read the 2024 report:

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Decarbonising transport

HM Government's new plans for decarbonisation of transport in Britain can be found at:

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Safer travel at night - advice for drivers

Adur & Worthing Councils are working closely with the police to keep people safe when they are travelling, and to crack down on any illegal taxi and private hire activity that puts passengers at risk.

The trade is well aware of the dangers to the public posed by unlicensed vehicles and un-booked private hire vehicles. Our licensing officers work alongside the police to carry out vehicle and driver licensing checks, visit private hire operators, engage with the public and undertake other activities to detect drivers who are breaking the law.

The councils, when possible, will emphasis to the public the risks of using an un-booked private hire vehicle - including unlicensed bogus cabs and licensed private hire drivers who are touting or illegally plying for hire.

Un-booked private hire vehicles are illegal, not insured to carry passengers, and pose a serious risk to their passengers - including serious crimes such as robbery, rape and serious sexual offences.

The annual 'Getting Home Safely' campaign provides information on the rules for using taxi and private hire vehicles and encourages the public to use taxis or booked, licensed private hire vehicles.

As a licensed taxi or private hire driver you have a responsibility for ensuring that your passengers are safe when travelling in your vehicle. The way you interact with your customers affects the way that a customer feels about the journey they make with you. We expect the highest standards of conduct from licensed taxi and private hire drivers.

No form of sexual conduct between a licensed driver and a passenger is ever acceptable, even if it is consensual. Avoid any behaviour that could be considered to be of a sexual nature, no matter how well intentioned or harmless you think it is, as it will not be tolerated. This includes commenting on someone's appearance or looking at a passenger in a way that could make them feel uncomfortable.

We take this issue extremely seriously:

  • all complaints and reports to us or the police will be fully investigated and appropriate action will be taken
  • a driver will lose their licence if they are found to have acted in an inappropriate way towards a passenger

If you see or hear of any inappropriate driver behaviour, you can report it by:

If you feel a customer may be in immediate danger, call 999.

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Badges and driver IDs

Please remember that taxi drivers must wear their badge, and private hire drivers must wear their driver ID, at all times while working. This is a public safety issue as it is an important way for members of the public to identify you as a licensed driver.

The councils will take action against drivers who do not clearly display their badge or driver ID. If you are found to be working without your badge or driver ID, this breach of compliance may be subject to penalties and may lead to licensing action.

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Cross-border hiring

Currently, private hire vehicles (PHVs) can undertake bookings anywhere in England and Wales, provided:

  • the vehicle, driver and operator are licensed by the same licensing authority
  • the booking is accepted by the operator within this authority, regardless of where the driver and vehicle are physically located

This is commonly referred to as the 'triple licensing requirement' and could cause significant issues with enforcement, congestion, emissions and parking, as well as creating issues in neighbouring licensing authority areas.

A national change is required to address issues of cross-border hiring which will otherwise further contribute to enforcement, congestion, pollution and parking issues.

The councils do not have powers to restrict this type of cross-border operation and are currently raising these concerns with government to ensure we have appropriate controls.

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Hate crime - report it!

What is a hate crime?

A hate crime is any crime that is targeted at a person because of a hostility or prejudice towards that person because of:

  • religion or belief
  • disability
  • race
  • sexual orientation
  • trans or gender reassignment, or
  • alternative sub-culture

Drivers and the public should not have to tolerate hate crime. You can report an incident online:

Please always ring 999 in an emergency.

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CCTV

There is now a compulsory requirement for all Adur and Worthing hackney carriages and private hire vehicles to have CCTV fitted. Both councils' licensing committees having resolved that in the interest of public safety CCTV should be compulsory in all licensed vehicles.

Proprietors should be aware that replacement vehicles and vehicles being licensed for the first time will need to have had CCTV fitted at the time of presentation for licensing.

All CCTV equipment needs to be installed by a registered and approved CCTV installation specialist. A list of installers approved by Adur & Worthing Councils is provided here:

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Need assistance with this service?
Get in touch:

Taxi Licensing, Public Health & Regulation

01273 263144

Email this service

Full contact details (Taxi Licensing, Public Health & Regulation)

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Page last updated: 13 May 2025

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