A private hire passenger has been sentenced after a driver was assaulted, racially and religiously abused and had his vehicle damaged during an Uber-booked journey. The incident happened on 2 January 2025 after a locally licensed private hire driver collected two women on an Uber booking, according to PC Patrick Quinton, ‘Taxi Cop’ at Avon and Somerset Police. Police said the confrontation began when the driver asked the passengers to stop vaping inside the private hire vehic

Government plans to shift taxi and private hire licensing to much larger transport authority areas could dramatically change the map of wheelchair-accessible vehicle provision. But aggregating several neighbouring fleets into one licensing area risks creating an illusion of improved accessibility while the vehicles themselves remain concentrated exactly where they are today. The Department for Transport’s (DfT) latest figures, published in August 2026, show that 34,500 licens

There is no shortage of potential turning points. National licensing reforms are being discussed. Cross-border hiring rules could be rewritten. Licensing authority boundaries may change. Manufacturers are preparing the next generation of purpose-built taxis. Drivers continue to wait for long-term electric vehicle grants aimed at wheelchair accessible taxis, while autonomous vehicle policy continues to evolve. Each of these developments has the potential to shape the industry’