ADCU latest to call for urgent temporary licences as TfL licensing system sparks private hire driver crisis
- Perry Richardson
- Mar 28
- 2 min read
The App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU) is calling on Transport for London (TfL) to immediately issue temporary licences to private hire drivers left unable to work due to major delays in licence renewals.
The union says it is handling more than 100 calls a day from drivers unable to earn after weeks or even months without a valid licence. The disruption stems from TfL’s new licensing system, which has triggered a backlog and left many drivers facing financial crisis.
ADCU say they have repeatedly raised concerns with TfL’s senior management in recent months, but says communication has broken down. Despite daily emails, the union claims it is receiving no responses, while the number of affected drivers continues to rise.
Even ADCU General Secretary Zamir Dreni has been caught up in the issue. After informing TfL of an address change, his own licence was suspended without explanation, leaving him unable to work for two weeks.
The union is demanding that TfL immediately issue temporary licences to all affected drivers and open urgent talks to resolve the ongoing disruption.
Dreni said: “My experience is just the tip of the iceberg. Some of our members have been waiting months for their licenses to be renewed, and are facing devastating financial hardship as a result of not being able to work. They can’t pay their bills, or meet the overheads that being a driver incurs. We have heard of drivers who are having their cars confiscated by the car lease companies, because they have not been able to meet the repayments.
“TfL have been issuing far too many licenses, and do not appear to have the manpower or the systems in place to deal with the increase in licensing renewals that have resulted from that,” continues Dreni. “We need action now, today. Our members cannot wait any longer for TfL get to grips with the teething problems they are facing due to the new system. They need to get back to work, right now.
“We demand that TfL issues every one of our affected members with a temporary licence immediately, and pick up the phone to us now to discuss how we can avoid this appalling situation from happening again.”
