In brief: Infrastructure Minister Deputy Jonathan Renouf has confirmed that Jersey’s illegal lifts industry will be included in a comprehensive review of taxi regulation. The move follows a proposition by Reform Jersey Deputy Catherine Curtis, backed by the States Assembly, calling for stronger legal tools to tackle unregulated, uninsured drivers. The Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel says it will be watching closely.
The Illegal Lifts Problem
If you have ever needed a lift home from town on a Saturday night and found yourself scrolling through an online forum to find one, you will already be familiar with the world of Jersey Lifts. For those who have not, it is essentially an informal, cash-in-hand transport network operating through online groups, entirely outside the regulated taxi industry. No licence, no insurance checks, no accountability. Just a willing driver, a passenger, and a prayer.
The Jersey Evening Post reports that Deputy Catherine Curtis of Reform Jersey brought a proposition to the previous States Assembly arguing that the current wording of the Motor Traffic (Jersey) Law 1935 is “inadequate for effective prosecution” of these unregulated drivers. She pointed to the growing membership of online forums such as Jersey Lifts as evidence that the problem was not going away. The Assembly backed her proposal, which asked the Council of Ministers to consider updating that 1935 law, or introducing new statutory offences, to better support the States of Jersey Police in investigating illegal taxi services.
That a law written in 1935, when the most disruptive transport technology was probably a particularly fast horse, might struggle to deal with smartphone-enabled informal ride-sharing is, perhaps, not the most shocking revelation of the year. But the consequences are real: passengers using uninsured drivers have no guarantee of cover if something goes wrong, and legitimate taxi operators face unfair competition from those who have simply opted out of the regulatory system entirely.
The Minister’s Response
Asked by the JEP what progress had been made since the proposition was approved, Infrastructure Minister Deputy Jonathan Renouf confirmed that he has committed to a “comprehensive” review of Jersey’s taxi regulatory framework. He said the review “will consider all aspects of taxi regulation and operation, including concerns about illegal taxi services, to ensure the framework is clear, effective and supports public safety.”
Deputy Renouf added that the government would “work with the industry and relevant stakeholders before bringing forward any proposals.” That is, in fairness, the right approach. Taxi regulation touches on livelihoods, public safety, consumer choice and law enforcement, and getting it wrong in either direction, either by over-regulating to the point of stifling legitimate services or under-regulating and leaving the public exposed, carries real costs.
What the minister has not yet provided is a timetable. The proposition was backed by the previous Assembly, and the current commitment amounts to: we will look at it as part of a broader review, and we will talk to people first. That is not unreasonable, but it is also not urgent.
Scrutiny Keeps Watch
Deputy Hilary Jeune, who chairs the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel, told the JEP that the panel would be building its understanding of the issue and examining any proposals brought forward. She stressed that it would be “important to hear what stakeholders are telling the minister,” so the panel could assess “what he has taken on board and the range of voices that he has heard.”
That is precisely the kind of scrutiny function the panel exists to perform, and it is encouraging to see it flagged early. Reviews of this kind have a tendency to consult extensively with established industry players, who have an obvious interest in tighter restrictions on competitors, while giving less weight to the consumers who use informal services, often because regulated alternatives are too expensive or simply unavailable at the times they need them.
Source: Jersey Evening Post
