Few politicians in recent years have spoken more frequently or forcefully about taxi and private hire issues than Andy Burnham. While speculation around his future political ambitions regularly surfaces, even more so in the last few days, the question for many within the taxi industry is straightforward: if Burnham ever reached Number 10, would he be good for the trade? Judging purely on his record as Mayor of Greater Manchester, taxi drivers would likely find plenty to suppo

The arrival of autonomous vehicles in the UK is often discussed as a potential threat to professional drivers. For many working in passenger transport, concerns centre on whether self-driving technology could eventually replace human operators and reduce employment opportunities across the sector. However, when examining the likely impact on different parts of the trade, a more complex picture emerges. Rather than weakening the position of hackney carriage taxi drivers, the i

London’s Mayor has acknowledged the potentially significant impact autonomous passenger vehicles could have on the capital’s 120,000 private hire drivers, warning that the industry cannot ignore technological changes already taking place on city streets. Speaking during a London Assembly Mayor’s Question Time session, Sir Sadiq Khan said autonomous vehicle technology represented both a major opportunity and challenge for London, with two companies already testing self-driving