News

Mayor Khan and TFL acted unlawfully over London Bishopsgate Streetspace scheme, high court rules

21 January 2021, 10:09

Transport for London and London Mayor Sadiq Khan acted unlawfully when they announced that taxis would be banned from parts of Bishopsgate under the Streetspace for London plan, the High Court has ruled. The plan called for taxis to be banned from two sections…

Free Now plans to switch all taxis and PHVs to zero emissions capable by 2024-25

20 January 2021, 08:00

Drivers signing up to the Free Now ride-hailing app ​will have to switch to zero-emissions capable cars in the next three or four years. The jointly Daimler and BMW-owned service has announced that all UK taxis must be electrified by 2024 and all private…

Union pressure forces Scottish Government to close benefits loophole, so poorest drivers will get £1,500 grant payments

19 January 2021, 17:41

The Scottish Government has moved to close a loophole that would have excluded the poorest taxi and private hire drivers from receiving payments of £1,500 to help cover costs such as licence fees and insurance payments for taxis not on the road. The grants…

Scottish operators can access new Energy Savings Trust fund to equip vehicles with Covid-beating devices

19 January 2021, 09:45

Private hire and taxi operators in Scotland will have access to a new fund that will help them fit their vehicles with Covid-19-beating equipment such as screens and PPE, as well as air filtration and sterilisation devices and UV cleaning systems. The new fund,…

Taxi and private hire industry responds again to Covid-19 crisis with free trips to vaccination centres for over-80s

19 January 2021, 09:44

The taxi and private hire industry has once again stepped up to the plate to provide a critical service to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.  Operators large and small are offering free rides to take elderly and vulnerable people to get coronavirus vaccinations – despite…

Phoenix adds all-electric eight-seater Mercedes-Benz eVito Tourer to handles school run work

19 January 2021, 09:40

Northumberland-based electric taxi pioneer Phoenix Taxis has added its first all-electric Mercedes-Benz eVito hackney taxi to its fleet. The long L2 Tourer Pro variant offers flexible seating for up to eight passengers. Supplied by north-east dealer Bell Truck and Van, it is the subject…

Taxi and PHV trade bodies unite in call to ministers to prioritise drivers for Covid-19 vaccine

12 January 2021, 10:19

Taxi and private hire trade bodies across the UK have written to the Government demanding that professional drivers are given priority access to Covid-19 vaccinations. The joint call, which includes the LPHCA, LTDA and Private Hire Board, has written to ministers in the Transport,…

Former Tristar MD Bruce takes the helm as French chauffeur firm Chabé moves into London

21 December 2020, 08:52

Former Tristar managing director David Bruce is setting up a major new London chauffeuring operation owned by major French luxury transport brand Chabé. The company will target high-end business including hotels, financial road shows and events, with an initial fleet of 10 cars. In…

MBH Corporation adds Victoria Gosden Travel to growing taxi portfolio

16 December 2020, 17:00

Acquisitive investment company MBH Corporation has acquired a second UK taxi operation. The group has bought Victoria Gosden Travel Limited (VGT) for a price between £1.3million and £2m. VGT joins ADT Taxis within the group’s transport division, which is aiming to build a national…

Wakefield drivers claim ‘moral victory’ as Council agrees to delay new car rules until September 2022

9 December 2020, 09:19

Taxi and private hire drivers in Wakefield are claiming a moral victory after the local council backed down over plans to force drivers to buy newer, cleaner cars. Drivers had earlier called off a planned strike in protest against the proposals, which stipulated that…