Taxi Driver Online

(The word 'politician' in my thread title isn't normally applied to councillors, although in effect they're local politicians, or whatever. And members of the London Assembly aren't councillors, so that term wouldn't be correct. So maybe they are politicians, but not as we'd normally use the word )


Don't know about the TfL action plan, but capping the number of PH vehicles would make little difference to growth of private hire, and to that extent won't affect the decrease in HC numbers.

And, as usual, the complaints below from the UCG are to some extent the decades-old complaints about the HC v PH stuff. And the app booking genie isn't going back in the bottle, for better or worse


Limit app driver numbers 'to protect black cabs'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgkn46dm5klo

London has too many private hire vehicles doing too few trips, adding to congestion and pushing down driver pay, politicians have said.

The London Assembly's transport committee has added at the same time the number of black cab drivers has fallen by a third in 10 years.

Elly Baker, the Labour Assembly Member who chairs the group, said the advent of taxi apps had led to "extreme competition for fares" so required radical intervention by the government and Transport for London (TfL).

TfL said London's taxi trade and private hire industry was "crucial to the success of the capital's transport network" and the government said it was aware of these concerns and was considering all options.

There are more than 106,000 private hire drivers licensed by TfL to work in London, the Local Democracy Reporting Service, external said.

There are also private hire drivers who are licensed outside of London but work predominantly in the capital.

Ms Baker said ministers had not addressed this issue "urgently" enough.

She said: "As drivers work longer hours to make up their pay, this leads to driver fatigue and raises questions around road safety.

"London 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."

Ms Baker has written to the transport secretary asking for a cap on private hire licenses.

The number of licensed taxis - black cabs - in London fell from 22,810 in 2014 to 14,800 in 2024.

In a separate letter to TfL, Ms Baker called on the transport body to set a specific target to increase the number of London's "iconic" black cab drivers, suggesting their Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan, launched in March, did not go far enough in addressing the issue.

She said: "It is time that TfL gets serious about protecting this industry, drivers, and all the Londoners who rely on taxis and minicabs to get around – starting with a cap on private hire vehicle numbers."

The committee said black cab costs have increased by at least £23,000 in the past eight years and the cheapest vehicle costing £70,000.

Trevor Merralls, general secretary of the United Cabbies Group (UCG), said technology had "blurred the lines" and allowed private hire to operate as a ghost taxi fleet.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "We've always had taxis and private hire but since technology came along, private hire is now immediate – they operate like taxis. It's meant to be pre-booked.

"Prior to this, there was 50,000 private hire drivers in London – there are now more than double that. This has been at the taxis' expense.

"All our rights have been eroded. We have an expensive vehicle and our fares are set by TfL – private hire drivers can buy a cheaper vehicle and charge whatever they want, but we are treated the same."

TfL's director of Licensing and Regulation, Helen Chapman, said its Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan followed "wide-ranging engagement with stakeholders, including the taxi trade, private hire industry, local councils, and passenger groups".

She added: "The 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.

"We 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."

The Department for Transport said it has spent £70m through grants to support taxi drivers to make the switch to electric.

A spokesperson said: "Even when the grant comes to an end, electric vehicles can be up to eight times cheaper per mile than filling up with petrol.

"We 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."

Wonder where they might be licensed by?

But no mention of TfL cars working elsewhere. I wonder if the two cross-border things even each other out?

This is the official London Assembly news release here, and this is a link to the full letters to both the government and TfL (link to the letters at bottom of the page here):

https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/wh ... e-industry


Cap vehicle numbers to support taxi and private hire industry

https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/wh ... e-industry

The Transport for London (TfL) Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan has been described as a “missed opportunity”,1 with a lack of meaningful engagement with drivers and the industry contributing to its flaws.

A London Assembly Transport Committee investigation into the plan has found more action is needed to support drivers and the industry.

In letters to the government and TfL published today, the Committee calls for a range of measures aimed at improving drivers’ financial security, working conditions, and the safety of drivers and passengers alike.

The Committee is calling for measures including a cap on the number of private hire vehicles in the capital and additional funding to help drivers purchase electric vehicles.

Recommendations in the letters include:

• The Government should legislate by the end of the 2025-26 Parliamentary session to grant TfL the power to establish a cap on the number of private hire vehicles licensed for use in London and stop cross-border hiring.

• By the end of 2025, TfL should make it a condition of licensing that operators do not use technologies that require drivers to read messages or touch their phones whilst they are driving.

• The Government should extend the plug-in taxi grant beyond April 2026 and reinstate the original rate of £7,500 per vehicle.

• The Government should make taxis and wheelchair accessible private hire vehicles exempt from VAT by the end of 2025.

• TfL should bring forward proposals for new financial support mechanisms for the taxi trade, beyond the plug-in taxi grant and VAT exemption. This should include exploring using the Mayor’s Green Finance Fund.

Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee, Elly Baker AM, said:

“The Committee is concerned about the future of the taxi and private hire industry in London, and TfL’s lack of serious engagement with drivers, their representatives, and this Committee only adds to our fears.

“TfL says that it wants to make taxi and private hire driving an attractive career for current and future drivers, but the evidence we have heard says the Plan is failing on those grounds.

“It is time that TfL gets serious about protecting this industry, drivers, and all the Londoners who rely on taxis and minicabs to get around – starting with a cap on private hire vehicle numbers.

“Our recommendations can make a big impact to the success of this Plan, but TfL needs to start listening to drivers to sustain progress in the years to come.”

There's quite a lot of detail in the letters (which I haven't read yet), but if that's the extent of their proposals to limit app-booking then it's not very much in the grand scheme.

I mean, it's not like the 15-minute delay (I think) between booking and pickup (or was it despatch?) that I think TfL proposed about ten years ago...

Or similar provisions overseas (or a delay of maybe half an hour or an hour between booking and pickup?) that would effectively destroy the app-booking model. Couldn't see that happening here, particularly, of course, when it would also affect the legacy trade using apps. Presumably.

basically voice activated technology will have to become the norm which might be interesting for non english speakers

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Or I suppose they could go back to 1970s-stylee VHF radio

Wasn't there once a rule (although not sure if it's like the bale of hay thing) that pre-booked cars/minicabs or whatever had to drive back to base before their next job?

Not quite compatible with app bookings via the cloud

especially if they wolves plated !

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

Are they really that thick?

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IDFIMH

Looks like transport secretary Heidi Alexander has given short shrift to the request for a PHV cap - this is her letter here:

https://meetings.london.gov.uk/document ... letter.pdf

This is a statement in response from the ADCU, as relayed by PHTM - can't find the original statement:



ADCU CONDEMNS GOVERNMENT REFUSAL TO ALLOW CAPPING OF PHV NUMBERS

https://www.facebook.com/PHTM.Newspaper ... o8HUDVe2Kl

The App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU) has today condemned Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander’s decision to rule out granting Transport for London (TfL) and other licensing authorities the power to cap private hire vehicle (PHV) numbers, despite growing concerns from local representatives, industry experts, and drivers about the scale of unrestrained growth in the capital.

The decision, communicated in a letter to London Assembly Member Elly Baker, has been met with disappointment and anger among professional drivers who say London’s PHV sector has reached breaking point—causing congestion, falling driver earnings, and declining safety and service standards.

ADCU President Cristina-Georgiana Ioanitescu said:

“The Government’s refusal to empower local authorities to manage private hire vehicle numbers is an abdication of responsibility. London’s roads are now choked with underpaid, overworked drivers competing for too little work, while the app operators continue to flood the market in pursuit of market share. TfL, the Mayor, and the Assembly have all repeatedly warned about the unsustainable scale of growth in the sector. Yet instead of listening to those on the front lines, the Transport Secretary has sided with the big tech platforms who profit from this chaos.”

Drivers facing ‘race to the bottom’ conditions

The ADCU says the continued oversupply of PHVs in London—now exceeding 100,000 licensed vehicles—has driven down driver incomes, increased unpaid waiting time, and amplified safety and environmental risks.

The union argues that app operators’ unchecked recruitment practices—often onboarding thousands of new drivers with no regard for market demand—amount to a form of exploitation that leaves drivers working excessively long hours just to cover basic costs.

“The Transport Secretary’s claim that this decision has been taken to “support choice for consumers” and ensure both taxis and PHVs are able to operate within the market shows how disconnected ministers are from the daily realities of the gig economy,” says Ioanitescu.

“Passengers and the public will simply face more congestion and pollution, and drivers will continue to be trapped in poverty pay conditions, as oversupply drives down earnings. The only people who will benefit from this are the app-companies, who are already making eye-watering profits from a system that is unregulated, and out of control.”

Call for urgent intervention

The ADCU is calling on the Government to reconsider its position and commit to:

- Granting TfL and other licensing authorities the power to set local caps on vehicle numbers, based on demand, congestion, and air quality data.

- Introducing a minimum fare and waiting time pay standard to prevent app operators from pushing prices below sustainable levels.

- Requiring algorithmic transparency from platforms to ensure fair dispatch and pricing practices.

“Without sensible limits, there is no pathway to fair pay, safe working conditions, or a sustainable transport network,” added Ioanitescu. “The Government must stop shielding app-based corporations from accountability and start protecting the workers and communities who keep our cities moving.”

Not sure if it's deliberate, but the usual conflation of drivers and vehicles there - the latter not quite above 100,000, and actually slightly down according to TfL's latest stats from a week ago


https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-p ... nformation

I quite like that idea, if it's feasible.

There is, however, an argument to be made that any operator who doesn't fairly dispatch work shouldn't be viewed as 'fit and proper'.

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IDFIMH