Taxi and Private Hire Numbers Still Dropping Across the UK

Recent data from Transport for London (TfL) has shown the number of licenced taxis in the Capital has surpassed 15,000 for the first since the pandemic decimated the industry. this growth in vehicle licensing is reflected in wider data provided by the Department for Transport (DfT).

Their data shows a 5% increase in the number of licensed hire vehicles in London since 2021, taking the total to over 95,000. A similar story is seen in the data for England (excluding London), where a 3% increase was recorded. This takes the total number of licenced hire vehicles in England to over a quarter of a million.

Some are interpreting this data as a sign that the taxi and private hire trade are beginning a strong recovery. But the story isn’t quite that simple.

More Vehicles, Fewer Drivers

Although there is clearly a marked increase in the number of licenced hire vehicles in the country, the same can’t be said of licenced drivers or operators.

As you can see from the graph, the number of drivers licenced has been steadily falling since the start of the first UK-wide lockdown.

When asked how many drivers have left the industry by the Guardian, Steve Wright, Chairman of the LPHCA said:

“It’s difficult to put a number on it because people may still have their licence but have given up using it. We estimate nearly 50% of the industry has gone missing. Try getting a private hire vehicle late at night and you just can’t.”

As some drivers were recently licenced at the start of the pandemic, their licences are only just starting to expire. So it’s likely that we are only just starting to get a true understanding of how the pandemic has impacted the industry.

The number of drivers in London has actually been decreasing steadily since 2017. At the time there were just over 140,000. There are now just less than 120,000, a 15.8% decrease in 5 years.

Outside of London, the numbers fluctuated but remained relatively stable over the same period. The current number of licenced drivers in the rest of England (210,700) is pretty similar to what it was back in 2017 (213,700).

Licensing Frustration

Although figures for England and Wales have remained relatively stable, some areas have been affected worse than others by the driver shortage. In some cases, the huge drop in numbers is down to frustration with new licensing regulations.

In Sandwell, the number of drivers has nearly halved following anger at new licensing fees. The secretary of Sandwell Private Hire Drivers Association commented saying:

“Our concerns are more than what they gave to us, what they listened to, what they plan to do.”

“Our main issue continues to be the licences fees. They still feel higher compared to other boroughs. I feel they need to adjust their policy to bring more interest for taxi drivers to come to Sandwell.

Plymouth is another area where driver numbers are dropping sharply.

Since 2021, there has been a 14% reduction in the number of private hire drivers in the area. A combination of factors has caused this including the pandemic, as well as an ongoing dispute about new vehicle livery.

There is also a concern due to the age of drivers in the area.

Speaking to the Plymouth Herald, Martin Leaves, secretary of the hackney cabbies’ PLTA, revealed that 81 of the 309 cabbies in the area are aged over 60. That accounts for over a quarter of all the cabbies in the area. He went on to say:

“We need younger drivers, there are only two that are under 30. I’m 48 and most drivers are 50-plus.”

There are similar stories in areas across the UK. But as the shorter days roll in and nights are getting colder, the public are going to be acutely aware if there is a lack of taxis in their area.

The only thing clear at the moment is that the industry is still going through an incredibly turbulent period.

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