{"id":482786,"date":"2025-10-08T11:13:18","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T11:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/482786\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T11:13:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T11:13:18","slug":"action-needed-to-combat-steep-decline-of-taxi-drivers-in-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/482786\/","title":{"rendered":"Action needed to combat ‘steep decline’ of taxi drivers in London"},"content":{"rendered":"

London Assembly warns apps such as Uber and Bolt have \u201cirreversibly changed the landscape\u201d for cab drivers,<\/strong> reports Kumail Jaffer, Local Democracy Reporter<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Transport for London (TfL) and the government must take radical action on private hire licensing to combat the \u201csteep decline\u201d in the amount of taxi drivers operating in the capital, the London Assembly transport committee has warned.<\/p>\n

Elly Baker, the Labour Assembly member who chairs the group, said the \u201cadvent of app-based operators\u201d \u2013 such as Uber, Bolt and Free Now \u2013 has \u201cirreversibly changed the landscape\u201d for cab drivers in London.<\/p>\n

There are now over 106,000 private hire drivers licensed by TfL to work in London, she said, causing \u201cextreme competition for fares\u201d. This, in turn, has led to drivers working longer days, prompting additional concerns over passenger and driver safety.<\/p>\n

In a letter this week to the transport secretary, Baker repeated the committee\u2019s calls for a cap on private hire licenses and said they \u201ccannot see the reasoning behind continuing to resist this call, which has wide support across taxi and private hire drivers\u201d.<\/p>\n

In addition to this, private hire drivers who are licensed outside of London but work predominantly in the capital have exacerbated the density of drivers. However, Baker said ministers have not addressed this issue \u201curgently\u201d enough, instead kicking the can further down the road.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are too many private hire vehicles doing too few trips, adding to congestion and pushing down driver pay,\u201d she said. \u201cAs drivers work longer hours to make up their pay, this leads to driver fatigue and raises questions around road safety.<\/p>\n

\u201cLondon is often seen as world-leading when it comes to transport systems. Yet, if we continue to lack the regulatory powers other cities have, we risk attracting bad actors who can exploit drivers and jeopardise the safety of Londoners.\u201d<\/p>\n

In contrast, the number of licensed taxis in London fell from 22,810 in 2014 to 14,800 in 2024.<\/p>\n

This is down to the barrier to entry proving too expensive for anyone wishing to enter the industry, with cab costs increasing by at least \u00a323,000 in the last eight years and the cheapest vehicle being \u00a370,000. To combat this, the committee recommended an extension of the \u00a37,500 plug-in taxi grant for drivers buying eligible, low-emission vehicles and exempt taxis from VAT by the end of this year.<\/p>\n

In a separate letter to TfL, Baker called on the transport body to set a specific target to increase the number of London\u2019s iconic black cab drivers, suggesting their Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan, launched in March, does not go far enough in addressing the crisis.<\/p>\n

She said: \u201cIt is time that TfL gets serious about protecting this industry, drivers, and all the Londoners who rely on taxis and minicabs to get around \u2013 starting with a cap on private hire vehicle numbers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Trevor Merralls, general secretary of the United Cabbies Group (UCG) who has driven a London taxi for over 20 years, said the proposals were just a starting point and must go further to rescue the industry.<\/p>\n

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): \u201cHaving seen this letter to the Transport Secretary, our expectations were very low before we began \u2013 and we remain disappointed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s nothing in it for taxi drivers, it\u2019s all about private hire. They\u2019ve said nothing about giving us road access to pick up disabled passengers. They\u2019ve said nothing about how technology has blurred the lines and allowed private hire to operate as a ghost taxi fleet.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve always had taxis and private hire but since technology came along, private hire is now immediate \u2013 they operate like taxis. It\u2019s meant to be pre-booked. Prior to this, there was 50,000 private hire drivers in London \u2013 there are now more than double that. This has been at the taxis\u2019 expense.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll our rights have been eroded. We have an expensive vehicle and our fares are set by TfL \u2013 private hire drivers can buy a cheaper vehicle and charge whatever they want, but we are treated the same.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe law hasn\u2019t kept pace with the technology \u2013 that\u2019s obvious. We never had these problems before the apps. Less taxi drivers in London is now inevitable.<\/p>\n

\u201cLondon has the best taxi drivers in the world, the highest standards \u2013 but if we want that to continue, we cannot work in the same way as private hire.\u201d<\/p>\n

Helen Chapman, TfL\u2019s director of licensing and regulation, said: \u201cLondon\u2019s taxi trade and private hire industry are crucial to the success of the capital\u2019s transport network. We welcome the recommendations from the Transport Committee and we will be responding to the committee in due course.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe actions set out in the recent\u00a0Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan are built on wide-ranging engagement with stakeholders, including the taxi trade, private hire industry, local councils, and passenger groups.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe plan will enable us to attract taxi drivers from all backgrounds, ensure the safety of passengers and drivers, maintain consistently high standards, and continue to reduce the environmental impact of taxis and private hire vehicles.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe remain fully committed to working with everyone to ensure that London has safe, accessible, and green taxi and private hire services, recognised across the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Department for Transport spokesperson told the LDRS: \u201cWe want to see\u00a0both\u00a0the\u00a0taxi\u00a0and private hire vehicle sectors in England thrive. The Plug in\u00a0Taxi\u00a0Grant has provided over \u00a370million to support\u00a0taxi\u00a0drivers make the switch to electric, and even when the grant comes to an end, electric vehicles can be up to eight times cheaper per mile than filling up with petrol.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are aware of the concerns around the current legislative and regulatory framework, including cross-border hiring. We are considering all options, seeking the best overall outcomes for passenger safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

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