In 2024/25, we revealed that 415 Fixed Penalty Notices (FPNs) were issued to taxi drivers caught smoking in their vehicles.
We can now reveal a 45% decrease in FPNs issued by councils since 2024/25. We sent Freedom of Information requests to UK councils to understand how many licensed vehicles were being smoked in, causing harmful secondhand smoke for passengers.
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council has the biggest increase in FPNs issued
| Rank | Council | Percentage increase of FPNs issued from 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council | 150% |
| 2= | Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council | 100% |
| 2= | Cheltenham Borough Council | 100% |
| 2= | Dundee City Council | 100% |
| 2= | Durham County Council | 100% |
| 6 | East Ayrshire Council | 67% |
| 7 | Folkestone & Hythe District Council | 17% |
1. Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council - 150% increase in FPNs issued
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council has seen the biggest increase in FPNs issued to drivers in licensed vehicles since 2024/25. In 2025, 2 FPNs were issued, compared to 5 in 2025/26.
2. Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Cheltenham Borough Council, Dundee City Council and Durham County Council - 100% increase in FPNs issued
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Cheltenham Borough Council, Dundee City Council and Durham County Council have all seen a 100% increase in taxi drivers smoking in their licensed vehicles since 2024/25.
3. East Ayrshire Council - 67% increase in FPNs issued
East Ayrshire Council saw the third biggest increase in FPNs issued, at a 67% increase from 2024/25. In 2025, 3 FPNs were issued, and in 2025/26, 5 FPNs were issued.
Liverpool City Council has issued the highest number of FPNs in 2026
| Rank | Council | Number of FPNs issued in 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool City Council | 95 |
| 2 | Birmingham City Council | 28 |
| 3 | Mid Ulster District Council | 21 |
| 4 | Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council | 12 |
| 5 | Hart District Council | 11 |
| 6 | Folkestone & Hythe District Council | 7 |
| 7 | Bradford City Council | 6 |
| 8= | Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council | 5 |
| 8= | East Ayrshire Council | 5 |
| 10 | Kirklees Borough Council | 4 |
1. Liverpool City Council - 95 FPNs issued
Liverpool City Council issued the most FPNs to taxi drivers caught smoking in their licenced vehicle in 2025/26, issuing 95 - despite a 7.7% decrease in FPNs issued since 2024/25. The council also issued the highest number of FPNs in 2024/25 (103).
2. Birmingham City Council - 28 FPNs issued
Birmingham City Council issued 28 FPNs in 2025/26, the second most in the UK, despite decreasing the number of FPNs by 47% from 2024/25. The council issued 28 FPNs in 2025/26, compared to 48 in 2024/25.
3. Mid Ulster District Council - 21 FPNS issued
Mid Ulster District Council issued the third-highest number of FPNs to licensed vehicle drivers in 2025/26. It’s a decrease of 34% since 2024/25, where the council issued 32 FPNs.
Methodology:
Freedom of Information requests were sent to all councils across the UK (379) to determine the number of fixed penalty notice fines which were issued to drivers for smoking in licensed vehicles in 2025/26. The data provided was then compared to 2024/25 data, which was provided to us in a previous FOI request.
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