Council report recommends keeping numerical cap amid improved taxi performance
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council officers are advising elected members to retain the borough’s long-standing limit of 67 licensed hackney carriages following a fresh taxi demand survey carried out in March 2026. The findings, to be presented to the council’s Licensing Regulatory Board on 2 September, show a reduction in unmet demand and shorter passenger delays compared with a similar study in 2023.
The review was undertaken after the authority introduced CCTV to Barnsley-licensed hackney carriages and included consultation with passengers, drivers, disability groups and local businesses, as well as continuous observations at main taxi ranks from Thursday to Sunday. Officers have also recommended the continued use of the town centre taxi marshal service alongside the ongoing rollout of in-vehicle CCTV for licensed vehicles.
"latent demand had fallen from 9% in 2023 to 1% in 2026"
The headline finding was a sharp fall in latent demand — the measure used to assess whether there is significant unmet need for additional hackney carriage licences — from 9% in 2023 to 1% in 2026. That fall is central to the officers’ recommendation that the numerical limit remain in place.
Key operational measures recorded by observers also improved. Passenger demand recorded during the monitored periods fell to 4,811 rides, down from 5,467 in the 2023 study; but at the same time the proportion of the borough’s hackney carriage fleet observed as active increased from 52% to 73%. Saturday evening plate activity between 8pm and 10pm rose to 63%, up from 47% in the earlier survey, with the largest uplift in activity occurring overnight from Saturday into Sunday — traditionally the period of greatest pressure on late-night availability.
| Measure | 2023 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Recorded passenger demand | 5,467 | 4,811 |
| Fleet recorded active | 52% | 73% |
| Average passenger delay | 2.07 minutes | 0.67 minutes |
| Passengers queueing >1 minute (measure) | 59.9 | 20.84 |
Average passenger delay fell markedly from 2.07 minutes in 2023 to 0.67 minutes in the latest observations. The survey also recorded a substantial decline in rank misuse: observers logged 4,284 vehicle movements at or near ranks, down from 6,045 previously. The report notes cars were identified as improperly using ranks during the earlier study but records a reduction in such incidents.
Under Department for Transport best practice guidance published in November 2023, local authorities that retain quantity controls on hackney carriage licences must regularly assess whether significant unmet demand exists. Barnsley has maintained a numerical limit since the authority was formed; the latest survey represents the most recent review required under that guidance.
Officers’ recommendations to the Licensing Regulatory Board therefore comprise:
- Retain the current limit of 67 hackney carriage licences for the borough;
- Continue the town centre taxi marshal service to manage ranks and assist passengers; and
- Progress the programme of fitting CCTV in licensed vehicles as a safety measure.
The Licensing Regulatory Board will consider the full report and the officers’ recommendations on 2 September. Councillors will be asked to balance the survey’s statistical findings — lower recorded passenger demand but greater vehicle activity and reduced waiting times — against wider policy aims on accessibility, night-time safety and support for drivers.
For Barnsley residents, the decision will determine whether the borough keeps the numerical limit that has governed hackney carriage numbers for decades, as well as whether measures intended to improve safety and rank management continue to be pursued.
