Image credit: Wayve Transport for London (TfL) has granted Private Hire Vehicle licences to a number of Wayve’s autonomous all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E vehicles, marking a significant regulatory milestone ahead of the launch of autonomous passenger trips on the Uber platform in London. The move completes what the companies describe as the required “triple-lock” for private hire operations in the capital, with the operator, driver and vehicle all licensed by the same licen

The taxi and private hire industry has never argued against regulation. In fact, licensing is one of the key reasons passengers continue to trust licensed transport. Criminal record checks, medical assessments, safeguarding training, vehicle inspections and insurance requirements all provide reassurance that licensed drivers and vehicles have met standards designed to protect the travelling public. Without those safeguards, confidence in the industry would quickly diminish. T

The question of whether councils in England should be given powers to limit the number of private hire vehicle (PHV) licences they issue has become one of the most debated topics in the taxi and private hire industry. With driver earnings under pressure, congestion increasing in many urban areas and concerns over regulatory oversight growing, calls for local authorities to gain the power to cap PHV numbers have become louder. Yet while the principle of allowing licensing auth