The taxi and private hire industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. For many drivers, the combination of coronavirus restrictions, loss of work and lack of support has severely affected their mental health. Here we look at some of the resources available and what to look out for in your friends, family and colleagues.

Uber are back in the news this week following a UK High Court ruling. The ruling confirmed that it is Uber, and not the driver, that enter into a contract with passengers. This could potentially lead to Uber raising their prices by 20% to cover VAT. The ruling is likely to affect the wider industry as well.

Bolt is continuing their expansion throughout the UK, with service now being offered in Edinburgh, Cardiff, Newcastle and many more. As the fastest-growing ride-hailing app globally they look set to catch up with Uber in the UK.

Uber’s Local Cab feature has been steadily launching in more areas across the country. While it has been welcomed by those partnered with Uber, it is still a concern for many in the industry. In this article, we look at the most recent happening in Local Cab.

We had a great time at the Institute of Licensing’s 25th Annual National Training Conference. It was great to see people in 3d for once rather than behind a screen and was really useful to tackle some of the issues affecting the industry

Next week TaxiPlus will be attending the Institute of Licensing’s 25th National Training Conference. After so long working from home it’s going to be amazing being able to go to an in-person event again! We’ve put together a list of all the sessions you need to check out if you’re part of that taxi trade.

2021 has been a busy year for new rules and regulations for the taxi and private hire industry. Following the introduction of statutory rules for the industry back in January, the new Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (Safeguarding and Road Safety) Bill will be another big shakeup for licensing authorities.

If you work in the taxi and private hire trade you might have heard of the Institute of Licensing. While you may have heard of them, you might not be aware of what their role is in the industry. In this article we look at who they are and what they do. 

While you might be familiar with DBS Checks, licensing authorities may ask you to provide a Certificate of Good Conduct. If you have spent long periods of time in other countries, these certificates help provide licensing authorities with all the information they need to make a decision.

In recent years, the number of crimes committed by people posing as taxi or private hire drivers has been rising. It can be easy to fall victim to these criminals but there are things to look out for. In this article we look at some of the key things to be aware of.

Uber has been a polarising name in the taxi and private hire industry for a while, but it seems that the public is catching up. In a recent study using Twitter, it was found that the UK public harbour more negativity towards Uber than any other brand, making it the nation’s ‘most hated’.

Ride-hailing is often thought to be a greener way to travel than taking your own car. New research is starting to emerge that shows that the reverse could be true. Increased pollution, congestion and crashes can all be attributed to ride-hailing.

A majority of Taxi and private hire drivers surveyed by TaxiPoint said they felt the EV charging network in their areas was not ready to cope with a large-scale switch to EV or PHEVs. Could including EV charging points on new homes and offices be enough to make a difference?

This year has seen licensing authorities introduce a range of new rules based on the new statutory guidance from the DfT. The biggest shake-up of taxi and private hire guidance since the introduction of the Enhanced DBS Check, is also seeing several councils introducing new standards for drivers.

Uber’s new Local Cab feature has now been active for a few weeks. For some, this has been lauded as a way to combat loss of earnings following the pandemic. Opponents to the scheme fear that it is allowing Uber to compete as a private hire operator in areas where it isn’t licensed.

Greater Manchester has received the green light for the introduction of its Clean Air Zone. Touted as one of Europe's biggest, the new Clean Air Zone will be introduced on 30 May 2022. Taxi and private hire firms need to be aware of the coming changes and how they will affect them.

In recent months, Uber’s practice of ‘surge pricing’ has come under more scrutiny. Anyone who's used Uber will be familiar with its practice of surge pricing but even regular customers are claiming that surge prices are increasing to rates they have never seen before. In this article, we take a look at exactly how surge pricing works.

Research from industry publication, TaxiPoint, has shown that over 80% of UK cabbies have a desire to move to greener vehicles but aren’t financially able to. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic combined with national and local government inaction is meaning the push for a greener industry is being delayed.

The number of taxi and private hire licences issued over the past 12 months have dropped significantly, according to the most recent government figures. While this could increase wait times for passengers, it could in fact be a lifeline for struggling drivers who, thanks to coronavirus, have been struggling to find fares.

New filtering guidance for criminal convictions were issued by the government earlier this year. Certain convictions now have different rules relating to how and if they are disclosed on a DBS Certificate. In this article we look at what this means for drivers applying for their taxi badge.