To: Lewes District Council Licensing Committee and Elected Members

From: The Undersigned, Concerned Licensed Taxi Drivers Operating in the Lewes District

We, the licensed taxi drivers who serve the residents and visitors of the Lewes District, are collectively submitting this petition to demand immediate action and structural reform within the Council's Licensing Department. For too long, the essential voice of the taxi trade—a vital public transport service—has been ignored, leading to demonstrable unfairness, a lack of transparency, and a failure to support a key local industry. It is time for Lewes District Council to cease its prolonged neglect and actively engage with the trade to implement the necessary changes outlined below.-----Our Core Demands for Immediate Action

The following four points represent the minimum steps required to restore faith in the Council’s licensing process and ensure a sustainable and fairly regulated taxi service for the District:

1. A Comprehensive and Independent Audit of the Licensing Department

We urgently request a complete, external, and independent financial and procedural audit of the Lewes District Council Licensing Department.
Focus on Ring-Fenced Funds: This audit must specifically focus on the ring-fenced monies collected from taxi licensing fees. We demand absolute clarity on how the substantial fees paid by the trade—including annual licence fees for vehicles and drivers, knowledge test fees, and DBS check administration fees—are being allocated. These funds are intended solely to cover the costs of licensing administration, enforcement, and direct trade support. We have serious concerns that these funds are being misapplied, diverted, or are otherwise not being used effectively to benefit the licensed taxi trade or improve the quality of the service provided to the public.
Procedural Transparency: The audit must also review the internal policies, decision-making processes, and communication methods of the department to ensure they are fair, compliant with national guidance, and transparent to the licence holders.

2. Implementation of a Fair and Prompt Fare Review

The current taxi fare tariff has been outdated for a significant period, failing to keep pace with the dramatic and ongoing increases in operational costs, including fuel, insurance, vehicle maintenance, and the overall cost of living. This stagnation threatens the viability of our livelihoods and the sustainability of the service.
Immediate Review: We insist that a fair and equitable fare review be implemented in the shortest possible time period. This review must be carried out in genuine consultation with representatives of the local taxi trade.
Commitment to Regular Reviews: To prevent future erosion of our income and maintain a commercially viable service, we demand that Lewes District Council commits, as a formal policy, to carrying out regular, comprehensive fare reviews for the trade at least every three years.

3. An Urgent Unmet Demand Survey

The accurate assessment of public need is crucial for effective regulation. We call for an Unmet Demand Survey (UDS) to be commissioned and carried out at the earliest possible opportunity.
Purpose: The UDS is essential to determine whether the current number of licensed taxis (hackney carriages) meets the public demand across the Lewes District.
Informed Decision-Making: The results of a professional, independent UDS are vital to inform future licensing policy regarding vehicle numbers, the potential granting of new plate licences, and strategic planning for public transport provision. Without this data, licensing decisions are being made in a vacuum, potentially harming both the trade and the travelling public.

4. Immediate Freeze on All Fee Increases

Given the pressing need for financial scrutiny and operational reform, we demand that all proposed or future fee increases for taxi licensing be immediately frozen until such time as the independent audit requested in point 1 has been successfully carried out, its findings published, and a plan for necessary financial and procedural remediation has been agreed upon with the trade. We should not be asked to pay more into a system whose management and allocation of funds are currently under question.-----

The Current Situation: Why Reform is Necessary

For a number of years, the concerns, requests, and formal submissions made by Lewes District taxi drivers have been systematically overlooked or actively ignored by the licensing department. This failure to engage has resulted in:
Erosion of Income: The lack of timely fare reviews has placed severe financial pressure on drivers, threatening to drive experienced professionals out of the trade.
Lack of Accountability: The opacity surrounding the use of ring-fenced licensing funds has led to a fundamental lack of trust between the trade and the regulator.
Disregard for the Trade's Expertise: The taxi drivers on the ground are the experts in local transport needs and operational realities. To sideline their input is detrimental to the entire community.
It is now a matter of urgency. Lewes District Council must recognise that a well-regulated, financially stable, and supported taxi trade is crucial for public safety, local commerce, and providing essential transport for residents, particularly those who rely on door-to-door services.

We call upon Lewes District Council to immediately address these four non-negotiable points, listen to the trade, and act decisively to restore fairness, transparency, and accountability to the Licensing Department.