Greater Manchester Minimum Licensing Standards

Taxis and private hire services are a crucial part of our transport network. They provide an important service, particularly for those without access to a car, and people who don’t live or work near other parts of the public transport network.

We want to see taxi and private hire services in Greater Manchester deliver a safer, high-quality experience for everyone, every time, using vehicles that meet high environmental standards.

That’s why Greater Manchester’s ten local councils, supported by Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), have developed a proposed set of common, minimum standards for taxi and private hire drivers, vehicles and operators licensed in Greater Manchester.

Find out more

Greater Manchester
Clean Air Plan

Greater Manchester (GM) is committed to cleaning up the air its residents breathe in a way that does not put jobs, livelihoods and businesses at risk. 

Government agreed that the original plan for a GM-wide charging Clean Air Zone would not go ahead following the pandemic. 

Since then, GM has worked with the taxi trade to help develop plans for a £30.5m Clean Taxi Fund as part of GM’s proposed investment-led Clean Air Plan. 

If approved by government, this would mean that every non-compliant eligible hackney and private hire vehicle licensed with a GM authority would be able to apply for a grant to upgrade to a cleaner vehicle. The vehicle would need to meet a new minimum emission standard being introduced by 31 December 2025.  

Funding would also be available to help owners of GM-licensed hackneys who already meet the minimum emission standard upgrade to a Zero Emission Capable vehicle. 

It is for government to decide the measures that are included in the Clean Air Plan. Under the investment-led Clean Air Plan, no one would be charged to drive in GM. 

Clean Air GM

Dedicated Be.EV taxi and private hire charging points 

We’re introducing 60 new rapid charging points dedicated for EV hackney and private hire vehicles. We chose the locations across GM following feedback from the trade. 

The first charging points are now available to use as part of the Be.EV charging network. To use them, you’ll need to be licensed by one of the ten GM local authorities and registered as a Be.EV taxi scheme member.  

You can see the locations and which ones are live – and find out how to use them – at TfGM’s electric travel website.