Wolverhampton taxi and private hire drivers who have been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic can apply for a £2,000 grant, the local council has announced. The Additional Restriction Grant – Taxi and Private Hire Grant scheme is designed to help drivers who live…

High-end chauffeuring firm Berkley Executive, the company backed by pop singer John Newman which went live just before the March 2020 lockdown, has become the latest high-profile casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. Berkley Executive, which pitched its services to wealthy people in the entertainment…

Eastbourne Council has agreed to licence an electric taxi – after originally refusing the application, fearing that “it might set a trend”. Driver Dean O’Hara (pictured) was shocked to have the licence request for his new all-electric MG5 refused after fuddy-duddy councillors said a…

Uber drivers attempting to pick up bookings in York are likely to be escorted from the city by Police, as the city looks to protect local operators. York removed Uber’s operator’s licence in December 2017 when the City of York council gambling, licensing and…

The Supreme Court’s decision to reject Uber’s final appeal against an Employment Tribunal ruling that its drivers are “workers” sets a precedent that will have a significant effect on the gig economy. Lawyers representing the drivers who brought the claim in 2016 now expect…

The Supreme Court is expected to announce its judgement this Friday, February 19, on Uber’s appeal against an earlier ruling that its drivers are classified as “workers”, not independent contractors. The dispute has been grinding through the courts since 2016, and the final ruling…

Taxi operators and drivers in the south coast towns of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole are angry at local council plans to introduce sweeping changes to taxi and private hire policies in the towns. Despite the massive downturn in trade resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic,…

Jaguar has axed the production ready, all-electric new XJ as part of a radical revamp of Jaguar Land Rover’s strategy. The move will come as a blow to chauffeurs who were looking to Jaguar to provide a luxury alterative to the big three German…

DG Delivery, Nottingham private hire giant DG Cars’ takeaway food delivery business, has now signed up more than 160 restaurants across Nottingham and Derby – and helped the company buck the trend of driver losses by recruiting 175 new drivers during the pandemic. The…

Ambitious taxi operator Take Me has added another company to its growing portfolio, with the addition of Birmingham-based TC Cars. And Take Me managing director David Hunter said the company had at least three more acquisitions in the pipeline to be announced in the…

Uber has launched a new same-day delivery service called Uber Connect in the UK. Costing the same as a regular UberX journey, the new product will initially be available in Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds as a pilot programme. Uber Connect allows users to deliver…

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has excluded taxis and private hire vehicles from his Transport Strategy as they still cause brake, tyre and tailpipe emissions – and taking a cab is “unhealthy”. Mayor Khan (pictured) said he wanted 80% of all journeys in London by…

Global chauffeur service Blacklane has acquired a majority stake in Havn, the Jaguar-backed London electric chauffeur start-up, and has added the brand to its offering in the capital. Blacklane now plans to grow Havn’s service and offer more zero-emission rides in London, as well…

Ride-hailing app Gett has been hit by an HMRC investigation into £5 million of business-to-business VAT receipts, according to documents filed at CompaniesHouse.  Gett is part-owned by Volkswagen, works with both private hire operators and London black cabs. According to Gett, the dispute centres…

Burnley Council has secured funding to fit protective screens inside private hire vehicles in the town. The funding is part of its overall Covid-19 response to supporting local businesses, and includes the cost of the screen and fitting. The screens will be restricted to…

South coast taxi and private hire drivers could be handed a £500,000 financial lifeline by Brighton and Hove City Council, if party leaders approve the latest round of Covid grants. Three taxi drivers in the city have died of coronavirus since the start of…

The death toll from Covid-19 for taxi drivers, private hire drivers and chauffeurs passed 200 in 2020, and the occupation continues to be one of the most high-risk, with a death rate for male drivers more than three times higher than the national average.…

Taxi and private hire drivers in Wales will be able to claim free PPE and vehicle cleaning material packs as part of a new scheme, funded by the Welsh Government. The pack contains medical grade re-usable face coverings and hand sanitiser, as well as…