Mayor says TfL’s taxi and PHV licensing service has now recovered after 2024 cyber incident
- Perry Richardson
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Transport for London’s (TfL) taxi and private hire licensing service has largely recovered from the disruption caused by the September 2024 cyber security incident, according to the Mayor of London.
Responding to a written question from City Hall Conservative Assembly Member Thomas Turrell, the Mayor said the cyber attack, combined with the introduction of a new licensing system in February 2025, resulted in increased processing times and significant backlogs for taxi and private hire licence applications.
The response outlines how TfL introduced a series of measures to restore services, including increasing staffing levels, creating faster escalation routes for urgent cases, prioritising licence renewals and issuing short-term licences where appropriate. Those temporary licences allowed existing taxi and private hire drivers to continue working while their full renewal applications were processed.
According to the Mayor, those recovery measures have now delivered “significant improvements”. Most licensing activities, including renewal applications, are now completed within around 10 working days, while response times for correspondence have also improved and continue to move towards that same timeframe.
With renewal processing now described as stable, TfL has shifted additional resources towards reducing waiting times for new licence applicants. The Mayor said applications are progressing more quickly through the licensing system, mandatory assessments have sufficient capacity and extra staff are helping accelerate licensing decisions. This has also led to a significant reduction in escalated casework.
The latest update reflects a marked improvement from the lengthy delays experienced following the cyber incident, when thousands of taxi and private hire drivers faced uncertainty over licence renewals and many relied on temporary licences to continue working. The disruption prompted widespread concern across the industry as drivers waited months for applications to be processed.
The Mayor also confirmed that TfL has issued almost 18,000 goodwill payments to affected taxi and private hire drivers in recognition of the impact licence processing delays had on their ability to work. While the licensing service is now operating more consistently, TfL says its focus has turned to shortening waiting times for people applying to join the taxi and private hire industries for the first time.
The Mayor of London said in full: “The September 2024 cyber security incident, together with the introduction of a new licensing system in February 2025, led to increased processing times and backlogs in taxi and private hire licensing applications.
“Transport for London (TfL) introduced a range of measures to support recovery, including increased staffing levels, faster escalation routes, prioritisation of renewal applications and the use of short-term licences, where appropriate, to help existing drivers remain licensed and able to work.
“These measures have delivered significant improvements. The licensing service has reached a consistently steady operating position, with most licensing activities - including renewal applications - now being completed within around 10 working days. Response times for correspondence have also improved significantly and continue to move towards this timeframe.
“With the renewals process now stabilised, additional resources are being focused on reducing waiting times for new applicants. Applications are being progressed more quickly through the licensing process, there is sufficient capacity for mandatory assessments, and additional staff are helping to accelerate licensing decisions. This has contributed to a significant reduction in escalated casework and improved processing times.
“While the cyber security incident had a significant short-term impact on licensing turnaround times, the service has substantially recovered and is now focused on further reducing delays for new applicants.
TfL recognised the impact of licence processing delays on existing licensees and has now issued almost 18,000 Goodwill Payments to affected PHV and taxi drivers.”
