Transport for London (TfL) will now issue temporary private hire vehicle (PHV) driver licences in response to ongoing delays in its licensing system.
Transport for London (TfL) will now issue temporary private hire vehicle (PHV) driver licences in response to ongoing delays in its licensing system.
New driving licence rules have been urgently introduced in England on a “temporary” basis. Transport for London (TfL) will now issue temporary private hire vehicle (PHV) driver licences in response to ongoing delays in its licensing system.
The initiative follows collaboration between TfL and the GMB Union. Under the new scheme, drivers in London and the Greater London area can receive temporary licences provided they complete a DBS check, among other criteria.
Simon Rush, President of GMB Taxi and Private Hire Drivers Branch, said: “This is very welcome progress, and we hope temporary licences will get drivers back on the road.
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“We are pleased to see TfL reconsider the licensing fee increase, particularly given the financial hardship that drivers have endured due to these delays.
“Drivers should never be left in limbo due to administrative issues. We will continue to work closely and collaboratively with TfL, with a view to getting the best outcome for our members.”
Zamir Dreni, General Secretary of the App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU), said: “We are relieved that, after months of pressure from ADCU, TFL has finally conceded that it needs to issue temporary licences to the thousands of drivers left unable to work, and facing financial hardship and ruin, as a result of the failure of it’s licensing renewals.
“There can be no further delays in the issuing of these emergency licenses. Our members are desperate and it has to happen now.
“We look forward to negotiating further with TFL to find ways of properly supporting drivers, such as capping the number of licences being issued, and enforcing legal rulings against Uber and Bolt as part of TFL’s regulatory duty.“
If you’ve already sent in your full renewal application and passed all the necessary checks, you’ll get a short-term licence that lasts three months. Just a heads-up though—if there are still medical or other issues being looked into, this temporary licence won’t apply.
As long as everything checks out during that three-month period, you could be given another licence to keep things going.
Taxi drivers who got their renewal applications in before their current licence expired can keep working while everything’s being processed, as allowed under the current rules.