TfL’s New Strategy to Improve London’s Taxi and Private Hire Sector

Transport for London (TfL) has unveiled a comprehensive five-year plan aimed at enhancing the capital’s taxi and private hire industry. The initiative, known as the Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan, outlines a series of measures designed to improve service quality, strengthen regulations, and support the industry’s transition towards sustainability.

Among the key aspects of the plan is ensuring that taxis retain access to bus lanes wherever possible. TfL also aims to collaborate with local boroughs to extend this access to more roads, facilitating smoother journeys for both drivers and passengers. Additionally, the plan seeks to secure greater regulatory powers, including the ability to tackle cross-border hiring, issue fixed penalty notices, and impose stricter oversight on taxi booking companies.

Driver training will also undergo improvements, with TfL committing to refining existing programs to enhance service standards. Modifications to The Knowledge, London’s rigorous taxi driver test, are under consideration to attract more applicants into the trade. Further financial support measures include advocating for the continuation of the plug-in taxi grant, reducing VAT on public charging points, and eliminating VAT from the purchase of taxis and wheelchair-accessible private hire vehicles.

The strategy has been shaped through extensive consultations with industry stakeholders, local councils, and passenger representatives. TfL’s director of strategy, Christina Calderato, emphasized the significance of the initiative:

"London’s taxi trade and private hire industry are crucial to the success of the capital’s transport network."

She further highlighted the plan’s broader objectives:

"The actions set out in this new plan will enable us to attract taxi drivers from all backgrounds, ensure passengers’ and drivers’ safety, ensure consistently high standards and continue to reduce the environmental impact of taxis and private hire vehicles."

TfL will now work closely with industry partners and policymakers to implement the outlined measures, ensuring that London’s taxi and private hire services remain accessible, safe, and sustainable.