The long awaited ‘Freedom Day’ is a hopeful sign for the industry as it is a strong indicator that business levels will soon return to pre-pandemic norms. To coincide with the relaxing of COVID-19 restrictions, the Department for Transport have released new guidance for the industry.

Uber’s new ‘Local Cab’ feature is the latest development in their service offering. The new service allows passengers to book journeys with local cab firms all within the Uber app. In this article, we take a look into how the ‘Local Cab’ feature came to be and how it works.

Acquisitions in the trade continues as Addison Lee acquire black cab firm ComCab to create the largest taxi and private hire company in London. This acquisition has been causing a few raised eyebrows in the industry as the firms have previously been major competitors.

Could we soon be witnessing travel akin to something out of a Bladerunner film? With the rapid investment and development of short-range electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles, shortened to eVTOLs, it seems we could be experiencing just that as soon as 2024!

Take Me Group, formerly ADT Taxis, continue their impressive growth by acquiring Stoke-on-Trent private hire firm, InterCity Taxis. A subsidiary of Mbh Corporation Plc, Take Me Group market their service as ‘Building the Future Private Hire Network for Operators’ their portfolio now boasts 7 well known transport firms.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic more and more town and city centres have seen the introduction of pedestrianisation in places that were previously accessible to vehicle users. As pandemic restrictions begin to ease many local authority leaders are committing to making these schemes more permanent. In many areas this has caused a polarising reaction.

Identified by the new Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards, taxi and private hire drivers hold an ideal position to be able to contribute to local safeguarding initiatives. County Lines drug gangs commonly send children on journeys in taxi services, in this article we cover what you need to know to identify this type of exploitation.

It’s a known fact in the trade, taxi drivers in London face one of the hardest area knowledge tests ever produced. Most taxi drivers take around 3-5 years to complete the test as there is such a huge volume of information to remember. But is that why the numbers of potential drivers are dropping?

Low-traffic neighbourhoods are becoming a more familiar site in urban neighbourhoods. Introduced to lessen through traffic on residential roads, these neighbourhoods are lauded and maligned in equal measure by proponents from both sides of the argument. In this article we breakdown the key info you need to know.

Taxi and private hire drivers have experienced some of the highest rates of coronavirus of any job role throughout the pandemic. This has led to anxiety about returning to work now that the economy is reopening. In this article, we discuss how to apply for free lateral flow Covid-19 tests, so you can be sure you’re driving safely.

The UK Government, like others across Europe, have committed to banning the sales of all petrol and diesel cars by 2030. In response, tech giants Uber have partnered with UK start-up, Arrival, to future-proof their business model by creating a new purpose built all-electric cab for the future.

So far in 2021, it has not been Uber’s year. Legal challenges, Supreme Court battles and historical wage bills have all contributed to some of the heftiest losses that Uber have suffered through. Pick-up points are just the latest in a long line of challenges for Uber in the UK.

The taxi and private hire trade have been one of the hardest hit by pandemic restrictions. Financial support has been thin for the industry but there are options available to drivers. In this article, we round up some of the key things you need to be aware of if you’re a driver struggling financially

Plying for trade is a common enough phrase for people in the taxi trade to hear. However, this doesn’t mean that its definition is universally understood. Specialists in taxi law have long been calling for statutory clarification of the current definitions from the Department for Transport.

According to Allied Market Research, the global taxi trade will be worth over £100 billion by 2027. However, as the industry recovers and grapples with the aftermath of the pandemic many drivers are struggling to make ends meet. As costs rise for running taxi services, a minimum rates increase needs to be introduced.

As soon as a successful vaccine was announced, representatives from the taxi and private hire trade have been lobbying the government to consider drivers as a priority group. The government have now announced that no prioritisation will occur based upon individuals' occupations.

Last month, Andy Burham, along with other council leaders published an open letter to the Secretary of State for Transport, lobbying them to review a host of issues. One area in particular has been causing local authorities' headaches for the past few years, cross-border licensing.

Unite Wales have been lobbying licensing leaders in South Wales to rescind the proposed price increase for taxi and private hire licences in the area. Following the hardest year on record for many, these prices hikes don’t reflect the state of the industry following the pandemic.

The Duke of Edinburgh always had a fondness for taxis which was reflected in both his charity work and his choice of vehicle. In a spontaneous show of respect for the passing of HRH Prince Philip, black cab drivers in London lined the Mall outside Buckingham Palace.

Whether you believe it’s good for the taxi and private hire trade or not, the big industry news this week is that Uber’s acquisition of dispatch software provider Autocab, will be allowed to continue following the conclusion of the Competition and Markets Authority’s investigation.