Oldham Council’s Licensing Committee met on Tuesday 6 June 2023, to consider proposals on the Taxi and Private Hire Licensing Policy.

The proposals put forward by Licensing Officers and agreed by the committee, are a result of a review of the processes currently in place for licence holders and new applicants, and whether they are fit for purpose and in line with the industry as it evolves and modernises.

Some of the changes made will impact residents and visitors of Oldham, as there are noticeable differences in the appearance of taxis and private hire vehicles.

Oldham Council licensed vehicles will display a rear identification plate. This plate will provide the licence number, vehicle registration number, expiry date, number of passengers and the vehicle make and model.

Vehicles will no longer display an identification plate on the front of their vehicle, but they will display their plate number in the top left of their windscreen.

Vehicles will no longer display large door signs showing operator details. They will instead display a smaller yellow door sign on the rear passenger doors of the vehicle, which will look like this:

Image of change in taxi door signage

Vehicles must display the logo of the operator they are working for in the passenger side of their windscreen.

This will enable residents who use landlines or shop phones when ordering a vehicle to be able to identify which one has arrived for them.

We would always recommend checking you are getting into the right vehicle by confirming the name the vehicle is booked under.

Many residents now make the most of mobile phone apps or receive a text message providing the vehicle details arriving to collect them. You should always make sure the vehicle that has arrived matches what your app or text tells you.

If you have concerns over a vehicle or driver you can report it to the Licensing Service by emailing: