"Elly Baker, the Labour Assembly Member who chairs the group, said the "advent of app-based operators" - such as Uber, Bolt and Free Now - has "irreversibly changed the landscape" for cab drivers in London. There are now over 106,000 private hire drivers licensed by TfL to work in London, she said, causing "extreme competition for fares". This, in turn, has led to drivers working longer days, prompting additional concerns over passenger and driver safety."
""There are too many private hire vehicles doing too few trips, adding to congestion and pushing down driver pay," 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.""
The number of private hire drivers licensed by TfL has surged to over 106,000, creating extreme competition for fares. App-based operators such as Uber, Bolt and Free Now have irreversibly changed the landscape for cab drivers. Drivers are working longer days to make up pay, raising concerns over fatigue and passenger and driver safety. Private hire drivers licensed outside London but working mainly in the capital have increased driver density and congestion. Calls for a cap on private hire licences aim to reduce oversupply, congestion, and downward pressure on driver pay. Licensed taxis fell from 22,810 in 2014 to 14,800 in 2024 amid rising costs and barriers to entry.
Read at www.standard.co.uk
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