TAXIPOINT UK NEWS OVER SEVEN MILLION MAGAZINE READS AND COUNTING…
1 | TAXIPOINT | OCTOBER 2026 | EDITION 90
THE UK’S #1 TAXI NEWS SOURCE
Edition 90 | October 2026
IT’S COMING
NEW LEVC BLACK CAB MODEL SET TO LAUNCH 2027 IMAGE CREDIT: LEVC
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS AND INSIGHT FROM:
! HMRC ON MTD, DRIVING HEALTH’S DR PHILL S U MARS, HJS EMISSION AND ICABBI ETGL PL
LATEST TAXI INDUSTRY BUSINESS, NATIONAL, REGIONAL, LONDON AND ENFORCEMENT NEWS
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FROM THE EDITOR
TaxiPoint Chief Editor: Perry Richardson TaxiPoint Publishing & Advertising Manager: Lindsey Richardson Visit us online at: www.taxi-point.co.uk Write to us at: contact@taxi-point.co.uk Advertising enquiries at: advertising@taxi-point.co.uk The publishers reserve the right to refuse, withdraw, amend or otherwise deal with all advertisements without explanation. All advertisers must comply with the British Code of Advertising practice. The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publishers. All written and image rights are reserved by the author as displayed. Reproduction in whole or in part without prior permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. Copyright brand TaxiPoint 2026. Creative Common image licences displayed where applicable.
Welcome to the latest edition of TaxiPoint. As the UK’s taxi and private hire sector continues to face changing demands, rising costs and important policy decisions, access to reliable information has never been more valuable. This edition brings together the latest developments from across the trade, with reporting and analysis for drivers, operators, licensing authorities and policymakers. We are also pleased to announce the launch of TaxiPoint Intelligence, a new resource designed to help decision makers search, compare and benchmark the industry‘s vital data. The first tool is now live, allowing users to sort and compare the latest Department for Transport taxi and private hire statistics, alongside league tables covering key measures across the sector.
TaxiPoint Intelligence will continue to develop over the coming months. We plan to add verified Hackney Carriage tariff data supplied directly by licensing authorities, enabling comparisons with neighbouring areas and downloadable reports to support tariff reviews. We will also begin measuring industry confidence through driver surveys, with findings made available at local, regional and national levels. We hope the platform becomes a useful resource for everyone working to understand and improve the future of the taxi and private hire trade. Be lucky!
Perry Richardson TaxiPoint Editor and Founder
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
NEW BLACK CAB REVEALED
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EVC has confirmed that its next-generation London black cab will enter the UK market during the second half of 2027, replacing the range-extended electric TX introduced in 2018. The manufacturer said the new taxi was being engineered from the ground up to comply with Transport for London’s Metropolitan Conditions of Fitness. These requirements govern features including accessibility, manoeuvrability and passenger safety for taxis licensed to operate in the capital. Final assembly of the existing TX has concluded, allowing LEVC and its Ansty manufacturing facility to prepare for the new model. The timetable creates a transition period before production of the replacement taxi begins in 2027. Full technical specifications, pricing, manufacturing volumes and a precise launch date have not yet been disclosed. LEVC said further information about the vehicle’s technology, capabilities and production would be announced in due course.
Early design sketches show an evolution of the traditional black cab shape, retaining the familiar upright silhouette while introducing a more modern appearance. The manufacturer said accessibility, durability, driver requirements and passenger needs would remain central to the vehicle’s development. Tony Chi, chief executive officer at LEVC, said: “For more than a century, LEVC has been at the heart of urban mobility, and the black cab remains one of the most trusted and recognisable transport solutions in the world. Today’s announcement marks an important milestone as we confirm that the next chapter is already well underway. “Our next-generation taxi will honour everything drivers and passengers value about the current TX, while taking a significant step forward in design, innovation and sustainability. We know how important the future of the black cab is to our partners and we want to reassure them that LEVC is fully committed to the future of this sector.”
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
LEVC CONFIRMS 2027 LAUNCH AS CURRENT TX PRODUCTION REACHES THE END OF THE ROAD
Brett Boydell, global design director at LEVC, said: “Designing the next generation of iconic black cab is both an incredible responsibility and a unique opportunity. These first sketches capture the essence of what’s to come, familiar, purposeful and unmistakably LEVC, but with a fresh, modern character that reflects the future of mobility. There is much more to reveal, but this is the beginning of that journey.” LEVC has sold more than 12,000 TX taxis worldwide. According to the company’s calculations, the model has prevented more than 450 million kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions since 2018, while contributing to a 60% reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions from London’s taxi fleet. Its carbon calculation compares the driven exhaust emissions of 12,216 TX taxis with the equivalent number of Euro 6 diesel TX4 models, based on an assumed annual mileage of 25,000 miles and NEDC-certified emissions data. The figures cover the period from 2018 to July 2026.
Geely Group has invested more than £1 billion in LEVC since 2013, according to the announcement. LEVC said the next-generation programme would combine its experience of purpose-built taxis with the wider engineering and technology capabilities available through Geely. The manufacturer added that the programme depended on a stable regulatory environment recognising the distinct operating requirements of licensed London taxis. It plans to continue consulting drivers, fleet operators and other industry stakeholders during development. Existing TX owners will continue to receive parts, servicing and technical support through LEVC’s aftermarket and aftersales operations after assembly ends. The commitment will be seen as vital to drivers and fleets expected to operate current vehicles for several years beyond the model’s production run.
IMAGE CREDIT: LEVC
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
IMAGE CREDIT: LEVC
THE DRIVERS’ FIRST THOUGHTS river reaction to LEVC’s planned 2027 black cab has centred on affordability, real-world electric range, parts availability and greater trade involvement in the vehicle’s development.
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would provide “more than 200 real world miles on a full charge”, while Robert Guthrie said “needs at least a range of 250 miles before I’m in”.
The initial response from cabbies shows curiosity over the potential cost and operating range of LEVC’s next-generation London taxi, following confirmation that the vehicle will enter the UK market in the second half of 2027.
Their comments reflect the requirement for a taxi to remain operational throughout long shifts without losing significant working time to charging.
There was overwhelming support for the new vehicle plans and they have been seen as a positive announcement when it comes to the future of the industry. Several respondents via TaxiPoint channels were however worried of a higher purchase price than the current model. Range was another prominent concern, particularly if the new taxi is fully electric. LEVC has not confirmed that detail, despite some commenters assuming it would abandon the range-extender format used by the TX. Cabbie Daniel James said he hoped the vehicle
Drivers also called for greater involvement in the development process, while James said LEVC should consider the comfort of drivers who spend much of their working day inside the vehicle. Other comments focused on smaller but operationally significant details. One driver asked what powertrain the new taxi would use and called for improvements to the visibility of the “for hire” light. With more details coming soon, these and other taxi drivers relying on the new TX will be watching closely.
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Q&A
WITH HJS EMISSION TECHNOLOGY
COULD RETROFITTING KEEP MORE TX4 TAXIS ON LONDON’S ROADS WHILE DRIVERS AWAIT THE NEXT LEVC CAB? H JS Emission Technology (HJS) says it has completed 100 installations of its Euro 5 to Euro 6 retrofit system on London TX4 taxis. The milestone comes as owners weigh the cost of replacing older cabs against extending the working life of vehicles they already operate.
In this Q&A with TaxiPoint, HJS discusses demand for the upgrade, its potential to help retain black cabs in London’s fleet while the trade awaits a successor to the current LEVC TX, and the factors owners should consider before choosing between retrofit and replacement. HJS has completed 100 Euro 5 to Euro 6 TX4 retrofit installations. What does reaching this milestone tell you about demand from taxi owners? “Reaching 100 successful installations demonstrates that there is a clear demand among TX4 owners for an alternative to replacing their existing taxi. “For many drivers, their TX4 is still a reliable, valuable vehicle and they simply want the opportunity to keep it working for longer. What we’re hearing from customers is that the retrofit gives them another choice. Rather than facing the significant cost of replacing their cab, eligible owners can upgrade from Euro 5 to Euro 6 and potentially benefit from the 15 year age limit. “The 100 installation milestone is particularly encouraging because awareness of the retrofit
option is still growing. It gives other TX4 owners reassurance that this isn’t an untested concept and there are now 100 successfully upgraded taxis out there operating with the HJS system. "Ultimately, drivers are telling us they don’t necessarily want a new cab, they want to keep a cab they know and trust on the road.” With production of the current LEVC TX ending and its replacement not expected until the end of 2027, how much could retrofitting contribute to maintaining London’s black cab supply? “Retrofit certainly has the potential to make a meaningful contribution. We have already retrofitted 100 TX4s and there are still
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MAKING TAX DIGITAL: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY HMRC FOR TAXI AND PHV DRIVERS
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aking Tax Digital (MTD) for Income Tax is changing how self-employed drivers report their earnings to HMRC.
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Which tax year determines when a driver must join Making Tax Digital? ”MTD for Income Tax is based on your qualifying income, which is your total gross income from self-employment and property in a tax year, before you take off any expenses. HMRC looks at your turnover, not your profit. For example, if you earn £25,000 from one app and £12,000 from another, your qualifying income is £37,000, the combined total, not each amount separately. “If your income goes over the threshold, even just once in an unusually busy year, you'll need to join MTD for that tax year. If your income then drops below the threshold in later years, you don't get to leave straight away. You must stay in MTD for three consecutive years before you can apply to come out of it.”
What information does HMRC actually receive in a quarterly update? ”You won't need to submit every single fare or receipt to HMRC. Instead, your quarterly update contains cumulative totals, meaning
Drivers will need to keep digital records and submit updates throughout the year ahead of their Self Assessment tax return. We've pulled together the questions drivers are asking most, with straightforward answers direct from HMRC to help you get ready.
How should app-based fares and commission be recorded? “If an app collects the full fare and then deducts its commission before paying the driver, the gross fare should be recorded as income and the commission recorded separately as a business expense. Drivers should not record only the net amount received, as this would understate both income and expenses.
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“In addition to fares, drivers should include tips, bonuses and incentives as income. They can also claim allowable business expenses such as app fees, fuel or charging costs, insurance, repairs, licensing fees and business mobile phone costs. For example, if a passenger pays £100 and the app retains £20 commission, the driver should record £100 income and £20 expenses, not £80 income.”
the total income and total allowable expenses for each business you have added up from the start of the tax year to the end of that update period.
“HMRC does not see your individual invoices or receipts, and it does not see a calculation of how much tax you owe. That final tax calculation only happens later, when you submit your tax return at the end of the tax year.”
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Can drivers continue using ordinary spreadsheets without breaching the rules? “Yes, you can keep using a spreadsheet but it cannot stand alone. A spreadsheet on its own is not compliant with MTD rules because it has no way of sending your figures to HMRC directly. ”To make it compliant, you need what's called bridging software. This software reads the data straight from your spreadsheet and submits it to HMRC through an official digital link, known as an API. This means you can carry on working the way you're used to, while still meeting the digital submission requirements. Just make sure the bridging software you choose is HMRCrecognised.”
What records must drivers retain after photographing or scanning receipts? ”Once you've photographed or scanned a receipt, you need to keep that digital copy, along with all your digital fare and expense records, for at least five years after the 31 January filing deadline for that tax year. You can throw away the paper original once you have a clear, legible digital copy that captures all the information. Just make sure the scan or photo is complete and easy to read, since this is what you'll need to rely on if HMRC ever asks questions later.”
How should mistakes in quarterly updates be corrected? ”Mistakes happen, and MTD allows for this. Depending on the type of error and when you spot it, you can either amend the original update, correct the figures in your next quarterly update or wait and put it right in your tax return at the end of the year. “Importantly, an honest mistake in a quarterly update will not result in a penalty, as long as your final figures are accurate by the time you submit your tax return.”
What penalties genuinely apply if a driver submits late or experiences a software failure? ”There are no penalties for late quarterly updates in the 2026 to 2027 tax year. After that, a pointsbased penalty system applies. “Each missed quarterly update deadline attracts one penalty point. For quarterly updates, a £200 penalty applies once a driver reaches four points. For the annual tax return, the threshold is two points. Further missed deadlines after reaching
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the threshold can trigger additional £200 penalties. ”If a deadline is missed because of something outside the driver's control, such as serious illness or bereavement, they may be able to appeal on the grounds of a reasonable excuse. Drivers should submit updates as soon as possible after any technical issue. Where HMRC system problems are widespread, appropriate action will be considered.”
Who can obtain exemption from digital reporting, and how difficult will that process be? ”Some drivers, including those who are older, disabled or digitally excluded, may be able to apply for an exemption from Making Tax Digital. You can find full details and the application process on GOV.UK”
How should vehicle purchases and capital allowances be treated? ”Quarterly updates are designed to report income and expenses during the year, not calculate capital allowances. Capital allowances, including Annual Investment Allowance, first-year allowances and writingdown allowances, are claimed through the tax return rather than quarterly updates. ”If a vehicle is financed, drivers should keep records of deposits, finance payments and interest. Interest and other allowable running costs can be recorded as expenses during the year, while any claim for capital allowances should be made in the tax return. Where a vehicle is used for both business and private purposes, only the business proportion can be claimed. ”MTD does not change the underlying tax rules for capital allowances; it changes how and when income and expenses are reported.“
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THE PRIVATE HIRE MAP THAT RAISES NEW CROSS BORDER QUESTIONS: WHY ARE HUNDREDS OF OPERATORS LICENSING WITH SMALLER COUNCILS?
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ondon remains England’s largest private hire vehicle operator licensing authority, but new figures reveal that several comparatively small councils are issuing hundreds of operator licences, prompting questions over whether the industry’s well-documented debate around “licence shopping” by drivers should also extend to private hire operators. Department for Transport (DfT) data for 1 April 2026 shows Transport for London had 1,843 PHV operator licences on issue. Castle Point was second nationally with 554, followed by Wolverhampton with 515 and Hertsmere with 467. South Gloucestershire ranked fifth with 351, ahead of Canterbury on 329. Kirklees recorded 228 operator licences, Buckinghamshire 223, while Liverpool and Torbay each had 199. Collectively, the ten authorities shown at the top of the table account for 4,908 operator licences, or around 26% of the approximately 19,000 PHV operator licences recorded across England. First up, it’s worth noting that the numbers need careful interpretation. An operator licence should not automatically be read as a large minicab business employing or dispatching hundreds or thousands of drivers. The DfT also specifically states that its figures count operator licences on issue rather than individual operators, meaning the national total does not represent 19,000 separate businesses. One driver can also be the operator At the smallest end of the market, a PHV operator can effectively be a one-driver business. Government guidance makes clear that somebody wishing to drive a private hire vehicle can either obtain their own operator licence or work through a business already holding one. That distinction is increasingly important as drivers gain access to their own websites, booking systems, card payment technology and direct customer databases. A driver seeking to build a customer base independently rather than relying entirely on a major app or traditional minicab office may therefore hold a driver licence, have a licensed vehicle and obtain an operator licence so they can lawfully accept bookings themselves. That means an authority recording several hundred operators should not necessarily be viewed as supervising several hundred Ubersized businesses. Its operator population could include substantial fleets, established local firms, specialist transport companies and significant numbers of sole traders operating one or a handful of vehicles.
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Even with that qualification, the geographic distribution remains notable. Castle Point’s 554 operator licences puts the Essex borough behind only London nationally and ahead of major population centres including Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and Leeds. Hertsmere, another relatively small licensing district, sits fourth with 467. Hertsmere itself says it has been receiving a “large volume” of private hire operator applications, with its published guidance currently warning applicants of processing times of around 16 weeks. Importantly, the council also states: “You can only be licensed by Hertsmere Borough Council if you are operating from the Borough of Hertsmere.” Is there operator shopping as well as driver shopping? Cross-border licensing has become one of the most contentious issues facing the taxi and private hire sector, with most attention directed towards drivers and vehicles obtaining licences from one council before working predominantly somewhere else. Wolverhampton has become the highestprofile example. The council reported that its number of licensed PHV operators had risen from 180 in May 2021 to 506 by the end of December 2024. Over the same period its licensed driver population increased from 16,655 to 49,714 and its licensed vehicles from 9,937 to 34,517. The Transport Committee has also highlighted the scale of out-of-area licensing associated with Wolverhampton, saying in 2025 that 96% of taxi and PHV licences issued by the authority were held by drivers from outside the city. Whether the same “shopping” label can fairly be applied to operators is harder to establish from licence numbers alone. Applicants cannot simply pick any authority without meeting the legal requirements surrounding where the private hire business operates. Government guidance tells applicants to apply to the licensing authority where their PHV business will operate. Individual council requirements can then determine what constitutes a suitable operating base and what records, policies, DBS checks and other documentation must be supplied.
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However, differences between licensing authorities in fees, application processes, operating conditions, processing times, licence duration and administrative requirements could create incentives for businesses deciding where legitimately to establish their operating base.
That means an operator licence is not just administrative permission to run a booking office. It forms one side of the regulatory structure that can enable drivers and vehicles licensed in one district to work predominantly or even exclusively in another.
The unexpectedly high number of operators concentrated in some smaller authorities therefore warrants further examination. It does not establish that operator shopping is occurring, but it raises a similar regulatory question to that surrounding drivers: why do some licensing areas attract substantially more licence holders than seemingly comparable authorities?
The Government acknowledged the wider problem earlier this year when consulting on changes to taxi and PHV licensing structures. It said the decision by some drivers to licence out of area can lead to significant numbers of vehicles operating elsewhere, while the authority where they actually work generally cannot suspend or revoke licences it did not issue.
Triple licensing makes operator choice important A PHV driver, vehicle and operator undertaking a journey must all be licensed by the same licensing authority. Once that requirement is met and the booking has been accepted through the correctly licensed operator, the journey can be undertaken elsewhere in England and Wales. TfL describes this as the “triple licensing requirement”.
TfL has similarly argued that drivers, vehicles and operators licensed in one area can operate predominantly or exclusively elsewhere and may not be subject to identical local safety, environmental or operational requirements. It says resolving the problem requires legislative change.
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Operator numbers are growing quickly There were around 19,000 PHV operator licences in England on 1 April 2026, up 17% from 16,300 in 2024. Over the same period the number of licensed PHVs increased by 13% to approximately 290,000 and the number of taxi and PHV driver licences climbed 9% to 417,300. London alone accounted for 1,843 operator licences, but the remaining leading authorities demonstrate that operator licensing is far from just a big-city phenomenon. Castle Point, Wolverhampton and Hertsmere together account for 1,536 operator licences, despite representing very different markets. The rise of app-based booking technology may also continue to change what an operator looks like. Becoming an operator no longer necessarily means maintaining a traditional minicab office with telephonists, dispatchers and a large vehicle fleet. For some licence holders the operation may consist of one driver taking bookings directly from their own customers. That development could be positive for competition by allowing drivers to retain direct relationships with passengers rather than
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depending entirely on large platforms. But it also makes understanding where operator licences are being issued, why applicants choose particular authorities and where those businesses actually generate their work increasingly important. Driver licence shopping has dominated the national debate because its effects are highly visible on the road. The latest operator figures suggest policymakers may also need to examine the less visible third part of the private hire licensing system. Without more granular information on the size, operating locations and business models of those holding the hundreds of licences concentrated in certain districts, the statistics cannot prove that operator shopping is taking place. They do, however, provide a strong case for asking why England’s private hire operator map looks so different from its population map, and whether the current licensing framework is producing outcomes Parliament originally intended.
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DR PHILL MARS DISCUSSES RELUCTANCE AMONG DRIVERS AND THE CHANGES NEEDED
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oncerns that seeking mental-health support could jeopardise a taxi or private-hire driver’s licence continue to discourage some drivers from asking for help. In a TaxiPoint Q&A, Dr Phill Mars discusses the reluctance he has encountered among drivers, inconsistencies between licensing authorities and the changes needed to give licence holders greater confidence in the medical assessment process. Dr Mars is Medical Director at Driving Health, a UK subscription-based healthcare service for taxi, private-hire and other professional drivers. Drawing on his experience of providing Group 2 driver medicals across several council areas, he now offers drivers access to remote GPs, mental-health professionals, annual Group 2 health monitoring and financial support towards licensing medicals. The service operates independently of licensing authorities and medicalassessment providers, giving drivers a confidential route to seek advice and treatment.
From your experience providing Group 2 medicals, how widespread is the reluctance among taxi and private hire drivers to seek help for mental health concerns because they fear losing their licence or livelihood? ”We found this to be a common problem: drivers would present with very clear mental health issues and, when gently encouraged to seek help, would be reluctant because they felt that their licence might be at risk. Often we could explain how the standards actually work and reassure them that early intervention could prevent a situation where their licence is at risk. It is very rare for a problem to develop so rapidly that it goes from absent to catastrophic overnight. The key is to seek help early, both to remain compliant with licensing standards and for a better prognosis.”
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The licensing authority response to a drivers’ medical history around mental health could be described as a “postcode lottery”. How do these inconsistencies affect drivers experiencing mental health difficulties, and what would a fairer national approach look like? ”The problem is not just with mental health, but with the whole assessment process. When we provided driver medicals we worked across 4 or 5 council areas. The standards were broadly mapped to the DVLA group 2 standards (often the council form is the DVLA one with the logos changed), but local nuances defy explanation. As an example - not mental health related, but an essential part of the assessment - we had three different councils that assessed diabetes differently. We had the absurd situation where a driver licensed with one council could drive whilst a driver licensed by the council a couple of miles down the road would have to wait to see his GP to get a blood test because the council still insisted on urine testing (no longer considered reliable in the medical world), which gives results that are far less accurate than the blood test, with frequent false-positives. ”With specific reference to mental health, we found that councils had different thresholds for acceptable mental health histories which bore little relation to the group 2 standards. This meant that, once again, a driver could retain their licence with one council whilst a couple of miles down the road the local council would have declined. In these days, when any council licence will allow you to drive more or less anywhere, it seems completely ridiculous to have these varying standards. A national approach would directly map to the DVLA standards as per the group 2 licence, without the extra bits some councils add in. The same form should be used across councils, as the existing D4 form would be a perfectly suitable basis, using nationally set standards rather than locally set. In an ideal world I would establish a national taxi driver licensing body and take the job out of the hands of councils completely. When you send a D4 back to the DVLA, there is a medical team who can advise; council taxi licensing departments rarely have any medical staff and really don't fully understand the standards they are applying.”
How would an annual Group 2 “MOT” help identify potential concerns early while giving drivers a safe and confidential route to seek support?
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”The annual group 2 MOT that we provide is not so much a test as a prompt to think about health; this is self-reported, so does not tell anyone but the driver if there are issues. As part of it there is a mental health check-in asking the driver to consider whether their mental health has changed since the last assessment and signposting to our GPs and Mental Health professionals. Our service is not linked to the driver’s GP (although they can update the GP should treatment be started), and is independent from any driver medical providers or licensing bodies - this is a safe space to get treatment. The most important benefit is the move away from the only prompting to think about health and get any problems sorted being the licensing reminder, instead the driver gets an annual check-in, which is directly linked to the services they need to help correct issues.”
What changes are needed from councils, medical professionals and the wider taxi industry to ensure drivers can ask for mental health support without automatically putting their licences at risk? ”We need to move away from the idea that a driver is assessed every 3 or 5 years, depending on what the council requires, and then isn’t seen again until the next assessment. Councils need to step away from this image they have as a distant, indifferent edifice that exists to catch drivers out (that really is how many drivers told us they felt) - a more open approach, with access to support and advice would be more likely to prevent problems from escalating; we have built our service to provide precisely this. ”The taxi industry should become more driverconscious; we spoke to many drivers who felt that they were pretty much on their own when it came to anything other than picking up fares and coordinating when on duty. Similar to the wider transport industry, we need to change the mentality away from seeing drivers as an invisible and dispensable part of the business and regard them as absolutely integral to the ongoing existence of the business which, in reality, they are. Companies who are prepared to invest in looking after drivers will likely find that the savings in recruitment and hours lost to sickness would more than offset the cost of supporting driver health - we offer our services on either an employee or employer funded basis, so many ways of achieving that level of support are available.”
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PREPARE FOR THE NEXT DISRUPTION TAXI TECHNOLOGY IS MOVING BEYOND DISPATCH, SAYS INDUSTRY SPECIALIST
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axi businesses should view themselves as technology companies rather than dispatch operations, according to Ben Cook, sales director at Exel Technology Group. Cook said the industry’s understanding of taxi technology had traditionally focused on dispatch, but the systems supporting a modern operator now extend across almost every part of the business. “For most working in and around the taxi industry, when somebody talks about ‘taxi technology’, they are normally talking about dispatch,” he said. “But I think the definition of taxi technology is changing.” A typical taxi company now relies on office telephony, broadband, computers, Microsoft 365, dispatch platforms, driver and passenger applications, card payment systems, CCTV, vehicle tracking, online bookings, customer communications and reporting tools. While each system performs a separate role, Cook said their combined importance meant operators needed to think more broadly about how technology was selected, managed and integrated. “Collectively, it means a taxi company today is fundamentally a technology business, and I don’t think the industry looks at itself that way,” he said. The impact of Uber provides the clearest example of how technology can change
customer expectations across the private hire and taxi market. Uber did not create the private hire vehicle or the basic process of taking passengers from one location to another. Its major change was to combine booking, vehicle visibility, tracking and payment in a single app-based experience. Customers could see a vehicle, make a booking, follow its progress and pay without contacting an office or handling cash at the end of the journey. Cook said the industry could continue to debate Uber’s pricing, business model and impact on drivers, but there was a commercial lesson for established operators. “Technology changed what the customer expected, and once the customer expectation changed, everybody else had to catch up,” he said.
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Passenger apps, vehicle tracking, cashless payments and automated communications have since become common features rather than exceptional services. This means the next major disruption may not come from a new dispatch platform. It could come from another part of the customer or operator experience that remains inefficient.
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Cook said every technology investment should also have a commercial purpose. This could involve generating more bookings, retaining customers, improving driver utilisation, reducing administration, limiting missed calls or replacing a more expensive manual process.
“The next Uber probably isn’t somebody inventing a better way of moving a booking from an operator to a driver,” Cook said. “The bigger threat is somebody looking at another part of the customer or operator experience and asking: why are you still doing it like that?”
Telephony is one area where integration could provide additional value. Rather than simply making and receiving calls, a modern phone system can help operators examine when customers call, why calls are missed, how quickly they are answered and how many calls result in bookings.
For taxi operators, that question could apply to missed calls, manual administration, fragmented reporting or systems that do not share information.
Connecting that information with dispatch, payments, vehicle tracking and customer account data could give operators a fuller view of performance.
Cook said Exel Technology Group was increasingly examining the wider technology estate used by customers rather than focusing only on products traditionally associated with the taxi sector.
Automation could also reduce routine administrative work. If information already exists in one system, it should not necessarily have to be entered manually into another. Repeated tasks carried out weekly, monthly or after a particular event may be suitable for partial or full automation.
A reliable dispatch system has limited value if an operator’s broadband connection or mobile data service is poor. Customer information also loses value if it is collected but not analysed, while a sophisticated telephone system may not solve the underlying problem if missed calls are not examined. Operators can also create additional work when multiple systems are purchased from different suppliers without sufficient integration. This can leave businesses managing separate contracts, logins and support arrangements, with no single view of how the technology is operating as a whole. “The question shouldn’t just be whether each individual product works,” Cook said. “It should be whether all of that technology actually works together for the business.” That includes whether data can move between systems without manual copying, whether managers can see what is happening in real time, whether repetitive processes can be automated and whether the technology can support future growth.
“Saving somebody ten hours of unnecessary work every week has a very real value,” Cook said.
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Artificial intelligence is likely to become part of this wider technology environment, but Cook said operators should not view AI as a standalone product that must be purchased simply because it is fashionable. Its practical uses could include analysing business data, identifying unusual patterns, summarising information, supporting customer communications or allowing managers to ask questions without producing multiple reports manually. Customer acquisition is also changing. Search engine optimisation remains important, but passengers are increasingly using AI tools to answer questions and make recommendations. This creates a need for operators to consider how their businesses are represented across websites, online references and other trusted digital sources. The objective is not simply to appear in traditional search results, but to ensure technology can understand where an operator works, what services it offers and how it differs from competitors.
TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
Cook said the future role of a taxi technology provider would therefore extend beyond supplying individual products. “Operators don’t necessarily need another supplier selling them another system,” he said. “They need technology partners who understand their business well enough to know how the different pieces should work together.”
Dispatch will remain central to taxi operations, but the surrounding technology is expanding. For operators, the commercial opportunity lies in understanding how each system contributes to the wider business and preparing for the next change in customer behaviour before it becomes an urgent requirement.
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
SCOTLAND COULD CHANGE TAXI LICENSING LAW AFTER FIRST MINISTER BACKS REVIEW OF RULES FOR CONVICTED SEX OFFENDERS
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irst Minister John Swinney has opened the door to changing Scotland’s taxi licensing law after the controversy surrounding a convicted rapist whose operator licences were considered by The Highland Council. Speaking in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday 22 September, Swinney said he was “very open” to considering an amendment to licensing legislation after Highlands and Islands MSP Morven-May MacCallum called for convicted sex offenders to be barred from holding taxi licences. MacCallum raised the issue during First Minister’s Questions following the continuing fallout from Highland Council’s handling of two taxi operator licences held by David Brown. Brown was jailed earlier this year after being convicted of raping an 18-year-old passenger. The MSP asked Swinney to commit to reviewing Scotland’s licensing laws and introducing legislation preventing convicted sex offenders from holding taxi licences. She argued that the existing system should not have allowed the possibility of the licences continuing. Swinney said he agreed “unreservedly” with MacCallum’s concerns about the handling of the Highland case. He told MSPs that there should never have been any question about continuing a licence in a case of that nature. More significantly for Scotland’s wider taxi licensing system, the First Minister acknowledged that the issue raised a question about how much discretion Parliament should leave with individual licensing authorities. Scottish licensing legislation currently gives councils substantial discretion when determining individual cases. Swinney said he was open to MacCallum’s
proposal being considered as an amendment to licensing legislation, while stopping short of committing the Scottish Government to a specific Bill, statutory prohibition or timetable. He said the Government would consider the point put to him. The call represents a potentially significant escalation from the local controversy in the Highlands. The issue has now reached the question of whether Scotland’s national licensing framework should impose tighter statutory restrictions rather than leaving decisions involving serious sexual convictions primarily to individual licensing authorities. Highland Council recently approved an independent external review of its licensing arrangements following the Brown case. That review can examine the application of the fit and proper person test, police objections, safeguarding evidence, governance and the advice available to councillors. The latest intervention at Holyrood creates a separate route through which changes could ultimately apply across Scotland. No legislative proposal has yet been published, and Swinney did not commit to an automatic lifetime prohibition for every sexual offence. Important questions therefore remain over which convictions any future restriction might cover, whether it would apply to driver, operator and vehicle licences, how historic convictions would be treated and whether councils would retain discretion in exceptional circumstances. For the Scottish taxi and private hire industry they should not treat a national rule change as decided, but the First Minister’s response means legislative reform is now under active political consideration at the highest level of the Scottish Government.
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
BUSINESS NEWS BOLT BECOMES EXCLUSIVE RIDEHAILING PARTNER FOR 16 UK MUSIC VENUES
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olt has become the exclusive ride-hailing partner for 16 music and live entertainment venues operated by Academy Music Group and Live Nation across the UK. The partnership, which began on 17 September, covers prominent venues including O2 Academy Brixton, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, O2 Apollo Manchester, Edinburgh Corn Exchange and Cardiff International Arena, which trades as Utilita Arena Cardiff.
BLACK CAB DECLINE OF YOUNG WHEELC
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reenow by Lyft has partnered with Whizz Kidz to raise money for young wheelchair users through passenger donations made in its app. Passengers can opt to round their fare up to the nearest pound before, during or after a journey. Freenow said 100% of the money collected will go directly to Whizz Kidz, supporting customised mobility equipment, specialist services and the charity’s accessibility advocacy. The partnership follows a Whizz Kidz survey of young wheelchair users and their families which found that 96% of respondents were concerned that further declines in black cab numbers would make travel more difficult.
Research cited by Academy Music Group found that three-quarters of fans travel up to 49 miles to attend a show, while 42% use private cars. The findings were taken from Live Nation UK venue surveys conducted across four waves during 2024 and 2025.
Current availability problems were already disrupting daily plans for 84% of respondents. Some 53% said they used black cabs because suitable alternative transport was unavailable.
Separate polling commissioned by Bolt found that 57% of people aged 18 to 24 would go out more often if travelling home were easier. The proportion was 49% among those aged 25 to 34 and 31% across all adults surveyed.
The findings indicate that accessible taxi availability affects participation in work, education and social activities. Black cabs were used for social outings by 59% of respondents, education by 36%, and work and healthcare journeys by 29%.
Kimberly Hurd, Senior General Manager at Bolt, said: “A great night out should feel seamless from the first song to the journey home. Getting home is part of the decision to go out in the first place. By partnering with Academy Music Group, we’re giving fans a convenient way home and supporting the venues that bring people together.”
Almost three-quarters, 73%, said being able to book through an app offering a guaranteed accessible fleet improved their travel experience. UK black cabs are purpose-built to accommodate wheelchair users and include ramps, securement points and larger passenger compartments. Danny O’Gorman, UKI General Manager at Freenow by Lyft, said: “As the platform with the largest fleet of wheelchair-accessible black cabs, we are committed to championing accessibility every day. We have already delivered accessibility training for our drivers alongside Whizz Kidz, and are determined to lead the industry in setting higher standards across the transport sector. “This new survey shows how critical fleet reliability is for young people. By encouraging passengers to round up their fares, we are enabling Whizz Kidz to continue their vital work while ensuring young wheelchair users can move around easily and on their own terms.”
IMAGE CREDIT: BOLT
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
E SPARKS TRAVEL FEARS AMONG 96% CHAIR USERS, NEW SURVEY FINDS
IMAGE CREDIT: FREENOW BY LYFT
RAINBOW CITY TAXIS PLEDGES £30,000 TO HELP SECURE ABERDEEN ARTS CENTRE’S FUTURE
City Taxis, said: “We are thrilled to be partnering with Aberdeen Arts Centre, and supporting the Save Aberdeen Arts Centre campaign to ensure this amazing organisation is here for generations to come.
ainbow City Taxis has pledged £30,000 to the Save Aberdeen Arts Centre campaign through a new three-year partnership with the venue.
“Performing at the Arts Centre is a rite of passage for so many local performers, and many of our family members have trodden the boards there. It’s a lovely feeling to be able to work together to enable those opportunities for even more people in our community.”
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The north-east Scotland taxi operator’s contribution will support the centre’s programme of grassroots arts, professional touring productions, creative learning and artist development. Save Aberdeen Arts Centre campaign launched in May 2025 with a target of raising £660,000 over three years. More than £279,000 has been secured so far from members of the public, businesses, grants and charitable foundations. Lauren Bisset, Operations Director at Rainbow IMAGE CREDIT: RAINBOW CITY TAXIS
“As a family-run business, we’re passionate about supporting local organisations like Aberdeen Arts Centre that provide for people of all ages in the community.
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
TAXI DRIVER HEROICS: GLASGOW CABBIE’S QUICK THINKING HELPS SAVE PASSENGER AFTER HEART STOPS DURING ROUTINE JOURNEY
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Glasgow taxi driver has been praised after operator described as several weeks of rest and his rapid response helped secure emergency recovery. medical treatment for a passenger who suffered a cardiac arrest during a routine journey. The company said the meeting included “emotion and humour” and that Matthews and Sinclair had Glasgow Taxis said driver Charlie Matthews was agreed to remain in contact following the incident. nearing the end of a short early morning hire to Stobhill Hospital when he noticed passenger Jake Paying tribute to its driver, Glasgow Taxis said: Sinclair had suddenly slumped in the rear of the “Charlie, we are immensely proud of you and, cab and was struggling to breathe. Jake, we wish you well for a safe and strong recovery in the fullness of time.” Recognising the seriousness of the situation, Matthews immediately alerted staff at the hospital. The operator also credited NHS staff at Stobhill Medical teams rushed outside and administered Hospital for their emergency intervention, adding: CPR, successfully restarting Sinclair’s heart, “Our thanks also to the NHS staff at Stobhill who according to Glasgow Taxis. ultimately saved Jake’s life.”
IMAGE CREDIT: GLASGOW TAXIS
Sinclair was subsequently transferred to the Jubilee Hospital in Clydebank for further emergency treatment. In the days following the incident, Sinclair’s daughter Donna contacted Glasgow Taxis seeking to thank the driver involved, whose identity was initially unknown to the family. The operator later established that Matthews had been driving the taxi. Glasgow Taxis said Sinclair continued to recover and, less than three weeks after the journey, was able to meet Matthews again in person. The pair were reunited alongside Donna following what the
AROUND 100 BLACK CABS TAKING CHILDREN TO DISNEYLAND PARIS ARE ALL LEVC TX MODELS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN CHARITY EVENT’S HISTORY
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he Magical Taxi Tour’s fleet consisted entirely of LEVC TX black cabs for the first time since the charity event began in 1995. Around 100 taxis took part in the journey to Disneyland Paris. The annual event, now in its 31st year, brought together taxi drivers, volunteers and British and French authorities to support children with life-threatening conditions and their families. The milestone meant every taxi in this year’s fleet was zero-exhaust-emission capable. The TX combines electric driving with rangeextended technology, giving drivers flexibility for the journey.
IMAGE CREDIT: LEVC
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
WHEELY LAUNCHES FAMILY ACCOUNTS ALLOWING MEMBERS TO SHARE CHAUFFEUR BOOKINGS AND PAYMENTS
SOURCE LAUNCHES CHARGING REWARDS SCHEME FOR FLEET AND PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS
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ource, the ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging network backed by SSE and TotalEnergies, has launched a rewards programme aimed at fleet and private hire drivers. The Source Rewards scheme gives drivers two points for every kilowatthour charged at a Source hub. According to the company, drivers can earn roughly enough points for a £5 voucher after 15 charging sessions, depending on the amount of energy used.
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Points can be exchanged for vouchers covering supermarkets, food, fashion and leisure. Participating brands include Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Costa Coffee and Uber.
IMAGE CREDIT: WHEELY
uxury chauffeur platform Wheely has launched Family Accounts, allowing members to extend their membership privileges and a shared payment method to family members, partners, household staff and family offices.
The programme has been developed with PowerGoodies, a rewards platform that already operates schemes with electric vehicle charging networks in Belgium and the Netherlands. It marks PowerGoodies’ first UK partnership.
The new feature allows an eligible Wheely member to invite up to six people to their account. Those users can then book journeys independently, while payments are charged centrally to the account owner.
Wheely said the feature has also been designed for family offices and households where travel arrangements and expenses are managed by staff. A nominated administrator, such as a Chief of Staff or Head of Family Office, can oversee journeys, receipts and expenditure while allowing individual users to make their own bookings.
IMAGE CREDIT: SOURCE
Account holders retain visibility over journey history and spending through the Wheely app, as well as control over who has access to the account. The arrangement removes the need for members to share payment card details or organise individual bookings on another person’s behalf.
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
Lyft said users travelling from North America will LYFT CROSSES THE be able to continue using the same Lyft account payment methods they already use in the ATLANTIC AS US APP and US and Canada. PREPARES TO GO LIVE Sid Patil, Lyft’s Chief Rideshare and Marketplace said: “Millions of riders across North FOR PASSENGERS IN Officer, America trust Lyft to get them where they’re going every day. Now that same app works the LONDON moment they land in Europe. No need to
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yft has launched its main rider app in Europe, allowing North American customers to use their existing account to book journeys across a growing number of European cities without downloading a separate local app. The rollout started on 30 September, with early access in Barcelona and Hamburg. Lyft said availability will expand throughout October to major cities including London, Rome, Paris, Berlin, Athens and Warsaw.
IMAGE CREDIT: LYFT
By the end of October, visiting riders are expected to be able to use the Lyft app in Spain, Italy, Greece, Poland, England, Scotland, Ireland, Austria, France and Germany. The move opens up a huge new audience for the UK taxi and private hire sector with Lyft already owning European mobility platform Freenow and UK corporate ground transport business Gett. For drivers operating on those platforms, the company says the integration will introduce an additional source of passenger demand from North American visitors.
download anything new.”
He added: “Every market we connect makes the network stronger for riders and drivers. This expansion takes us from being your neighbourhood rideshare app to a global, multimobility platform.” Rather than building a separate driver network for the Lyft app in each European city, the company has developed a backend framework capable of connecting its rider application with third-party mobility marketplaces. This allows a Lyft customer to request a journey through the familiar app while accessing driver supply from the connected marketplace. The European launch is the first use of the technology. Lyft says the framework has been designed so additional marketplaces and countries can be connected in future, potentially giving the company a faster route into new territories without having to establish an entirely separate marketplace in each location.
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
LONDON NEWS
LTDA AND FREENOW DEMAND TFL GRANT A TEMPORARY TAXI AGE-LIMIT SUSPENSION
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he Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) and Freenow by Lyft have backed calls for temporary changes to London taxi age limits after LEVC confirmed its next-generation black cab will not reach the UK market until the second half of 2027.
now written to Danny Price, Transport for London’s Director of Sponsored Services and Regulatory Compliance, asking for an immediate temporary suspension of the age limit affecting older taxis while new vehicle supply remains constrained.
The calls follow confirmation from LEVC that final assembly of the current TX had concluded in September 2026, allowing its Ansty production facility to prepare for the new purpose-built taxi. The manufacturer has said the replacement will launch during the second half of next year, but an exact date has not yet been announced.
The letter seen by TaxiPoint, says the association had previously raised the prospect of a supply gap with TfL and City Hall officials.
That timetable means there will be no continuous flow of newly manufactured LEVC taxis between the end of current TX assembly and the arrival of the replacement model. Even if the new taxi reaches the market at the beginning of the second half of 2027, the gap would run for around nine months. LTDA General Secretary Steve McNamara has
McNamara welcomed the commitment to a new purpose-built taxi, referring to the forthcoming vehicle in his letter as the TX6, but warned that the period before it becomes available could reduce the number of cabs available to working drivers. He said: “Unfortunately, the new cab will not be available until next year and with sales of the current model, the TXE, now stopped, there will be a considerable period in which my members will not be able to buy a new cab.
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“Whilst LEVC do have a reasonable stock of second hand TXEs, this will not be enough to sustain the current fleet numbers going forward, as older cabs fall off licence because of the age limit. As a result, there is a real likelihood that there will be a shortage of taxis with the consequence that some drivers will be unable to find a cab and will effectively be rendered unemployed.” McNamara said discussions had already taken place over the possibility of an extended gap between current production ending and the new taxi arriving. He added: “When I met with yourself, the mayors political and air quality teams in the summer, we discussed the likelihood of a prolonged gap between the TXE ceasing production and the TX6 becoming available and I proposed then that the only solution in the short term is a temporary hiatus of the 12-year age limit until the supply of new vehicles is resumed. “Now that we finally have confirmation that the TX6 is coming and a workable time frame, I would ask that you implement a temporary suspension of the age limit with immediate effect.”
TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
Freenow by Lyft has now added its support to the call, arguing that the limited availability of second-hand vehicles may not be sufficient to replace taxis leaving the fleet before new production becomes available. Danny O’Gorman, General Manager at Freenow by Lyft UKI, said: “This LEVC announcement is great news for the taxi trade and marks an exciting next step for London’s transport network. We are pleased that LEVC is continuing to set the benchmark for purpose-built taxis with the rangeextended TX6, which will deliver a much greener, higher-spec vehicle that lowers running costs for drivers. “However, with the TX6 not available until next year and the limited stock of second-hand vehicles will not be enough to sustain fleet numbers as older cabs reach their licensing age limits. Without proactive measures, this shortage risks leaving drivers without vehicles and impacting livelihoods with direct impact on passengers as well. “To protect London’s world-class, wheelchairaccessible black cab fleet for the long term, we support calls for a temporary suspension of the 12-year age limit until the supply of new vehicles is fully restored.”
OWE TFL MONEY? NEW LONDON TAXI AND PHV LICENSING RULES COULD PUT REPEAT NON-PAYERS’ LICENCES AT RISK
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ondon taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers could face refusal, suspension or revocation of their licence over money owed to Transport for London (TfL) under a new licensing policy introduced last month. TfL’s Version 6.0 London Taxi and PHV Driver Policy, dated 1 September 2026, adds dedicated sections covering money owed to the transport authority for both applicants and existing licence holders. The change brings unpaid TfL debts directly into consideration over whether a driver is fit to hold a licence. For new and renewal applications, drivers are required to declare that they do not owe TfL money. The requirement includes outstanding Congestion Charge or Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) payments and fines. TfL also states: “It is a criminal offence to provide false information when applying for a taxi or PHV driver’s licence.”
The policy does provide some reassurance for drivers dealing with an isolated penalty. TfL says that “a single unpaid PCN may not stop an applicant from becoming licensed”, meaning an outstanding notice does not in itself amount to an automatic refusal. However, repeated non-payment carries potentially much greater consequences. TfL says failure to comply with a court payment order or repeatedly failing to pay lawfully issued penalties can indicate “a pattern of behaviour showing lack of honesty, responsibility, and respect for the law”. According to the regulator, that behaviour can call into question whether somebody is a fit and proper person to hold a taxi or PHV driver’s licence.
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
LICENSED TAXI DRIVERS’ ASSOCIATION WARNS RENTAL BIKE COLLISIONS BECOMING ‘MAJOR PROBLEM’ AFTER ANOTHER TAXI BADLY DAMAGED
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IMAGE CREDIT: GreenBadgeE1
he Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) has warned that collisions involving rental bikes are becoming a “major problem” after another London taxi was left heavily damaged and unable to work. Images shared by the driver show the cab’s rear windscreen completely shattered following the collision. The boot lid was also damaged after the rider struck the back of the vehicle. The taxi driver said: “Rear windscreen smashed, boot lid damaged, unable to work.” The rider reportedly struck his face against the rear windscreen during the impact alone Euston Road in the early hours of 21 September. Police attended, while an ambulance crew treated the rider at the scene. The cabbie also said they have contacted the rental bike provider Lime regarding insurance liability and are awaiting a response. “Luckily police came as rider smashed his face on windscreen,” the taxi driver added. “Ambulance treated him and left me dealing…” Responding to the incident, the LTDA said: “This is becoming a major problem. The bikes do have an ID plate, but it’s incredibly hard to locate.” The trade organisation directed drivers towards guidance published in a recent edition of its TAXI newspaper, which explains where identification numbers are positioned on bikes operated by the main rental companies. LTDA General Secretary Steve McNamara previously advised cab drivers to secure photographic evidence immediately following
any damage involving a hire bike. McNamara said: “What you should do is take pictures of the bike and the cab in situ, the rider, the damage and, most importantly, get a picture of the bike’s ID number.” According to the LTDA guidance, the identifying number on a Lime bike is positioned on the handlebars. On a Forest bike it is on the frame just above the battery, while Voi displays the number on the frame beside the rear wheel. The number could help the rental operator establish whether the bike was being used during an active hire and identify the associated account. Drivers are also advised to retain dashcam footage, gather witness details and record the precise time and location. The latest incident demonstrates the potential financial impact for taxi drivers when a damaged cab is taken off the road. Beyond the cost of replacing the rear windscreen and repairing the boot, the driver is also likely to lose income while the vehicle remains unavailable for work.
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
REGIONAL NEWS
EVERY LIVERPOOL TAXI AND PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLE TO DISPLAY NEW PASSENGER COMPLAINTS QR CODE
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iverpool City Council has approved the mandatory display of passenger feedback QR codes across its entire licensed taxi and private hire vehicle fleet. The proposal formed part of a draft Inclusive Service Plan due considered by the council’s General Purposes Licensing Committee on Thursday 24 September 2026. Upon approval, every licensed vehicle would have to display a QR code linked to the council’s “Have Your Say” system. Passengers would be able to use the platform to submit comments, compliments, concerns or complaints about licensed taxi and private hire services. Council officers said feedback from service-user groups suggested the existing process for making a complaint or comment was deterring some people from engaging with the authority. The QR codes are intended to create a more accessible and direct reporting route. The wider Inclusive Service Plan would establish a structured approach to identifying barriers faced by disabled passengers and people with additional needs. It would also support engagement with service users and set out actions aimed at improving accessibility across the licensed fleet. The council said the plan would support its responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 and align with the Department for Transport’s Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Licensing Best Practice Guidance. That guidance encourages licensing authorities to make inclusive services a core strategic aim. Information submitted through the QR code system would be handled in accordance with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, according to the committee report.
The authority expects the new licensing requirement to have a positive effect across several protected characteristics. It said improved access to complaints and feedback could help identify recurring problems and support further service improvements. The committee approved both the introduction of the draft plan and the mandatory QR code requirement.
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
COUNCIL PRESSED FOR ANSWERS AFTER TAXI DRIVER ALLEGEDLY WATCHED YOUTUBE DURING SCHOOL TRANSPORT JOURNEY
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lintshire County Council is facing calls to explain its school transport safeguards after footage emerged that allegedly shows a taxi driver watching YouTube while driving a child with additional learning needs.
IMAGE CREDIT: FLINTSHIRE LIBERIAL DEMOCRATS
The concern was raised publicly by the Flintshire Liberal Democrats, which said it had been sent a video recorded during a school journey. An accompanying video appears to show a mobile phone displaying video content inside the vehicle. Councillor Andrew Parkhurst said: “I have been sent a shocking video. It appears to show a Flintshire taxi driver watching YouTube while driving a vulnerable child with additional learning needs to school.” He added: “This is not safe. This is not acceptable. Children must be protected.” Parkhurst said he had asked the council how the alleged incident was allowed to happen and what measures would be introduced in response. According to his statement, the authority said
there was no indication that such behaviour occurred frequently. The councillor has now appealed for families to report other concerning experiences involving school transport, saying he wanted to establish whether the incident was isolated. He argued that the alleged behaviour may not have come to light had the child not recorded it.
HARTLEPOOL SET TO KEEP MANDATORY YELLOW TAXI LIVERY AFTER REVIEW
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artlepool’s yellow hackney carriage fleet is set to retain its long-standing colour requirement after a council review found strong public and trade support for the existing licensing rule.
around 85%, supporting the retention of yellow hackney carriages. Council officers acknowledged Blueline’s “compelling commercial argument” but said it had to be weighed against the consultation result.
The review followed a request from Taxi Cab Services (Hartlepool) Ltd, trading as Blueline, which argued that professionally repainting or wrapping vehicles in the council’s specified yellow shades can cost more than £2,000.
The report warns that changing the policy could lead to the loss of hackney carriage vehicles or drivers, while retaining it carries a stated risk of Blueline leaving the borough.
The operator said the expense could hinder fleet renewal and the introduction of electric vehicles, including Tesla models supplied in standard colours, and proposed cheaper partial-yellow liveries costing between £368 and £600 plus VAT. A consultation held between 8 July and 28 August 2026 attracted 491 responses, with 418,
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
GREATER MANCHESTER PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS HANDED £2,500 VEHICLE UPGRADE LIFELINE AS NEW £2M GRANT FUND OPENS
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reater Manchester has launched details of a new £2 million Private Hire Vehicle Support Fund, offering eligible locally licensed PHV owners grants of up to £2,500 towards replacing vehicles that fail to meet required emissions standards. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) scheme is aimed specifically at vehicles licensed by one of the city region’s ten licensing authorities. Eligible vehicle licence holders will be invited by email to apply through a dedicated funding portal. To qualify, the vehicle being replaced must fall below the fund’s emissions requirements. A compliant vehicle is defined as petrol meeting at least Euro 4, diesel meeting Euro 6, or a Zero Emission Capable (ZEC) vehicle. The ZEC definition requires CO2 emissions below 50g/km and a zero-emission range of at least 70 miles under the specified WLTP measurement. Eligibility is also tied to historic licensing dates. Applicants must have been the licence holder of the non-compliant PHV on both 1 October 2024 and 1 March 2026. On 1 March this year, the vehicle must also have been taxed, insured and licensed as a private hire vehicle by a Greater Manchester licensing authority. The £2,500 can be put towards a range of replacement technologies rather than solely electric vehicles. Petrol, diesel and hybrid replacements can qualify provided they satisfy the minimum emissions criteria and the licensing requirements imposed by the relevant local
authority. Vehicle retrofits are not covered by the scheme. A potentially important element for drivers who have already acted is retrospective eligibility. GMCA says licence holders who replaced an eligible non-compliant vehicle with a compliant vehicle on or after 1 March 2026 may still qualify. Applications for retrospective funding are expected to open in early October 2026. For drivers who have yet to replace their vehicle, an approved application will result in a Fund Award Notification, known as a FAN. The applicant will then have four months to obtain an eligible replacement and have it licensed with a Greater Manchester licensing authority. The grant is paid after the replacement vehicle has been licensed rather than before the purchase takes place. The final structure represents a substantial change from the package originally proposed for Greater Manchester’s private hire sector. Earlier this year, leaders backed plans for £4.45 million of support which would have offered either a £5,000 interest-free loan or a £1,000 grant to locally licensed PHV operators upgrading vehicles. GMCA subsequently reconsidered the loan element. A report considered in June recommended removing loans altogether and replacing the previous arrangement with a grantonly model worth £2,500 for each eligible vehicle. The authority estimated the revised scheme would cost a maximum of £1.98 million.
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
DENBIGHSHIRE FREEZES TAXI FARES FOR 2027 AFTER TRADE CONSULTATION
IMAGE CREDIT: WV PUBLIC PROTECTION
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enbighshire County Council has decided not to change its Hackney Carriage maximum fare tariff for 2027, leaving the current charging structure in place following a review by its Licensing Committee. The committee considered the tariff at its meeting on 15 September 2026 as part of the authority’s annual review of Hackney Carriage fares. The review followed engagement with taxi operators and users through a Taxi Forum process established during 2026. Twelve responses were received during the exercise, with seven supporting retention of the current tariff, one favouring an inflation-linked adjustment and four putting forward other approaches. The decision means the tariff introduced on 8 October 2025 will continue into 2027. Under the existing structure, the standard weekday daytime tariff starts at £4 for the first seventenths of a mile, followed by 30p for each additional tenth of a mile. The evening and weekend tariff begins at £4.80 for the first seven-tenths of a mile, with subsequent increments of 30p per tenth of a mile. A separate night-time tariff, which also applies to journeys carrying more than four passengers, starts at £5.25 and then increases by 45p for each additional tenth of a mile.
WOLVERHAMPTON TAXI COMPLIANCE TEAM TAKES GET HOME SAFE CAMPAIGN TO UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
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ouncil officers have explained the difference between taxis and private hire vehicles during a passenger safety event at the University of Wolverhampton. City of Wolverhampton Council’s Taxi Compliance team has taken its Get Home Safe campaign to students at the University of Wolverhampton. Officers attended the university to provide safety information and explain the checks passengers should make before entering a licensed vehicle, including looking at the vehicle licence plate and the driver’s badge. A central part of the campaign is helping passengers understand the difference between taxis and private hire vehicles. Taxis can be hailed in the street or hired from a rank, while private hire vehicles must be booked in advance through a licensed operator. That difference is important to the travelling public because an advance booking creates a journey record linking the passenger to the operator, driver and vehicle. A private hire driver should not accept an unbooked passenger who approaches the vehicle in the street. The campaign is particularly relevant to students and other late-night passengers who may enter the first available vehicle without checking whether it is licensed or properly booked.
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
RISING FUEL BILLS COULD THREATEN THE ECONOMICS OF SCHOOL AND PATIENT TAXI WORK, MLA WARNS R
ising fuel prices could make contracted taxi work unaffordable for some operators and put school and patient journeys under pressure, the Northern Ireland Assembly has heard. DUP MLA Diane Forsythe raised the concern during a statement on fuel prices on 21 September. She said transport businesses can be committed to rates calculated before the latest increase in their running costs. “Transportation services, including taxis, are contracted on rates that are based on the fuel cost at that time, which may be lower,” Forsythe said. “With those costs escalating, it might be unaffordable to run those businesses.” She warned of possible consequences for services that depend on those journeys. “We could have children who might not get to school and patients who might not get to their appointments,” she told the Assembly. For a taxi driver, the pressure arises when the price paid for each contracted journey stays fixed while the cost of completing it rises. Forsythe’s comments focused on that mismatch between
agreed rates and current fuel costs, rather than on a change in passenger demand. She did not identify a particular taxi contract, operator or public body facing disruption. Nor did she say that school or patient journeys had already been cancelled. Her warning concerned the potential effect if higher fuel costs make existing contracts too expensive to fulfil. Forsythe said diesel had reached £2 a litre and described the effect of rising fuel prices on businesses that rely on vehicles. She also pointed to the difficulty faced by firms that quote for work before their fuel costs increase. The taxi warning formed part of a broader call for government action. Forsythe sought intervention on fuel costs, including extended relief for hauliers and cuts to fuel duty and taxes on red diesel. She did not set out a taxi-specific support proposal. Her remarks put the pricing of public service taxi journeys into the fuel cost debate. The issue for contracting bodies and operators is whether rates agreed at an earlier fuel price still cover the cost of providing regular journeys, particularly where those journeys serve people travelling to school or medical appointments.
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
NORTHERN IRELAND TAXI FLEET REACHES HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE 2021 AS DRIVER NUMBERS POST FIFTH STRAIGHT QUARTERLY RISE
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orthern Ireland’s licensed taxi driver total rose for a fifth consecutive quarter to 7,586 at the end of June 2026, according to the Driver and Vehicle Agency’s latest statistics. The increase extends a gradual recovery in driver numbers. The DVA said licensed taxi driver stock had “more than halved” from the 15,802 recorded in 2013/14, and described the latest rise as the “fifth quarter on quarter increase” in the figure. The number of taxi driver licences issued during the 2025/26 financial year fell, however. The DVA issued 1,574, down 464, or 22.8%, from the 2,038 issued in 2024/25. Licences issued over a year measure licensing activity, while the June figure counts licences in force at that point. The report said the number of taxi licences issued has fallen since the start of its series in 2013/14
and has remained below pre-pandemic levels since 2020/21. It did not give a reason for the latest annual fall in driver licences issued. Licensed taxi vehicle numbers also increased. The fleet reached 7,440 at the end of June, up 169 vehicles, or 2.3%, from a year earlier. That was the highest vehicle stock recorded since September 2021. Taxi operator numbers stood at 1,131 at the end of June, an increase of 18, or 1.6%, from the end of March. The DVA said operator numbers remain substantially below levels seen earlier in the series. The figures form part of the DVA’s report covering April to June 2026. They show driver numbers continuing to recover, but still far below their 2013/14 level.
STRATFORD-ON-AVON LAUNCHES CONSULTATION ON PROPOSED TAXI LICENSING POLICY THAT COULD CHANGE VEHICLE AGE LIMITS
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tratford-on-Avon District Council has launched a 12-week consultation on a proposed new Taxi Licensing Policy.
The consultation opened on 28 September 2026 and will close on 21 December 2026. Responses will be considered before the final policy is presented for adoption through the Council’s democratic process.
the proposals. Diesel, petrol and LPG vehicles would be licensed until they reach 12 years of age, while hybrid vehicles could be licensed until they reach 15 years of age. No age limit would apply to fully electric or hydrogen vehicles with no exhaust emissions. The current minimum age requirement for vehicles would also be removed.
Proposals include clearer expectations for drivers and passengers, updated information on data protection and the use of the National Register of Taxi and Private Hire Licence Revocation and Refusals database, and additional guidance on accessibility duties and assistance dogs. The draft policy also proposes regular safeguarding and disability awareness training for drivers, revised enforcement provisions and a requirement for drivers to subscribe to the DBS Update Service. Vehicle age requirements would also change under IMAGE CREDIT: STRATFORD-ON-AVON DISTRICT COUNCIL
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
ENFORCEMENT NEWS
OUT-OF-AREA WOLVERHAMPTON PRIVATE HIRE DRIVER PROSECUTED FOR ILLEGALLY PLYING FOR HIRE IN LIVERPOOL
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iverpool City Council has successfully prosecuted a Wolverhampton-licensed private hire vehicle driver for illegally plying for hire in Liverpool. The case followed an incident in March 2026 when the driver was found seeking passengers without a prior booking, according to Liverpool City Council’s licensing team. Private hire vehicles can only carry passengers who have booked their journey in advance through a licensed operator. Unlike hackney carriages, they cannot lawfully accept passengers from the street or a taxi rank. The driver was also prosecuted for driving without insurance. Private hire insurance may not provide cover when a vehicle is being used outside the conditions governing pre-booked journeys.
The court imposed seven penalty points and ordered the driver to pay a combined £585 in fines and costs. Liverpool City Council did not disclose the driver’s identity, the precise location of the incident or the court at which the case was heard. Drivers working outside their licensing area remain subject to national private hire laws. Local enforcement officers can investigate suspected plying for hire and insurance offences committed within their authority’s boundaries. Liverpool City Council Licensing said: “Successful prosecution by Liverpool City Council following an incident in March involving a Wolverhampton licensed PHV driver. “The driver was found plying for hire in Liverpool and driving without insurance, receiving 7 penalty points and £585 in fines and costs.”
’GHOST PLATE’ FOUND Police have seized another suspected “ghost plate” from a vehicle during enforcement activity in the Avon and Somerset area.
An image shared by PC Patrick Quinton, Avon and Somerset Police’s Taxi Cop, showed a red Toyota Corolla with the rear registration plate obscured. PC Quinton said: “Another ghost plate found and seized today.” IMAGE CREDIT: PC PATRICK QUINTON
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
CROSS BORDER ENFORCEMENT: TWO BRADFORD PRIVATE HIRE DRIVERS AND VEHICLES SUSPENDED IN BARNSLEY ENFORCEMENT OPERATION
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wo Bradford-licensed private hire drivers and their vehicles were suspended during a joint taxi licensing enforcement operation in Barnsley town centre.
followed concerns raised by taxi and private hire trade representatives about the number of vehicles licensed elsewhere working in Barnsley town centre.
The static night-time operation took place on 18 July 2026 and involved Barnsley Council licensing officers, South Yorkshire Police and licensing teams from Bradford and Wolverhampton councils.
Cross-border licensing allows a private hire vehicle to undertake work outside the area in which it is licensed, provided bookings are accepted through an appropriately licensed operator. However, enforcement can require cooperation between councils when the vehicle and driver are licensed by another authority.
A total of 43 hackney carriage and private hire drivers and vehicles were stopped and inspected, according to an enforcement report presented to Barnsley Council’s Licensing Regulatory Board on 2 September. Officers checked 15 Barnsley-licensed hackney carriages and four locally licensed private hire vehicles. One private hire driver received a written warning for failing to display an interior licence plate. Every other Barnsley-licensed driver and vehicle inspected was found to be compliant. Bradford licensing officers suspended two Bradford-licensed private hire drivers and vehicles over breaches involving signage and accident damage. The report does not provide further details about the damage or state how long the suspensions remained in force. Vehicles licensed by Wakefield, Kirklees, Bradford, Leeds, Sheffield, Chesterfield, Wolverhampton and Rotherham were also checked. The authority said the operation
Barnsley licensing officers said in the report: “Proactive and reactive enforcement operations will continue to take place on a regular basis. Vehicle failures are always unacceptable, and our enforcement operations must convey the message that operators, vehicle proprietors and drivers must accept responsibility for any failures and make a change. All Licensing Authorities have clear standards that must be adhered to as failure to do so may put the safety of the public at risk when using hackney carriage or private hire vehicles. “The principal consideration for all is, as always, one of public safety. “Members are asked to support Officers and encourage private hire and hackney carriage drivers and operators to comply with the conditions of their licence and continue to always keep their vehicles as safe as possible for both drivers and customers.”
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TAXIPOINT UK NEWS
TAXI LICENCE SUSPENDED AS POLICE AND COUNCIL OFFICERS STOP 13 CABS IN MAJOR HEYWOOD OPERATION
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taxi licence was suspended after officers discovered an expired badge during a multi-agency enforcement operation in Heywood. The Heywood Neighbourhood Policing Team said 13 taxis were stopped as part of Operation Paragon, which was conducted in response to concerns about anti-social driving and taxi compliance.
IMAGE CREDIT: ROCHDALE POLICE - GMP
Multiple taxi drivers were also advised about failing to wear their identification. Police did not disclose how many drivers received the warning or whether any further licensing action would follow.
PHV DRIVER REPORTED AFTER ALLEGEDLY PLAYING GUITAR WHILE DRIVING TESLA AT 60MPH ON M25 WITH WEIGHTED STEERING WHEEL
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private hire driver has been reported for according to the Surrey Roads Policing driving without due care and attention after statement. police received a 999 call alleging he was playing a guitar while driving a Tesla on the M25. The referral to the licensing authority could bring separate scrutiny of the driver’s private hire Surrey Roads Policing said the vehicle was licence alongside any court proceedings. reported travelling at 60mph in the Reigate area when the alleged behaviour was brought to the The police statement did not identify which attention of officers. licensing authority issued the driver’s licence or state whether any licensing action had After stopping the Tesla, officers said they subsequently been taken. IMAGE CREDIT: SURREY ROADSAFE discovered the vehicle’s interior camera, used to check driver attention, had been covered. Police also reported finding a weighted device fitted to the steering wheel. According to Surrey Roads Policing, the device was being used to make the vehicle believe the driver was holding the wheel. The driver was subsequently reported to court for driving without due care and attention. No details have been provided about when the case is expected to be heard or the potential court proceedings that will follow. Police also established that the motorist was working as a private hire driver. His licensing authority has been informed of the incident,
47 | TAXIPOINT | OCTOBER 2026 | EDITION 90
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