Congestion question put to Mayor of London as private hire vehicles surge towards 100,000
- Perry Richardson
- 9 hours ago
- 3 min read
The number of licensed private hire vehicles (PHVs) in London has risen to nearly 100,000, dwarfing the capital’s black cab fleet and raising new concerns over road congestion and regulatory fairness.
According to the latest Transport for London (TfL) figures, 96,788 PHVs are currently licensed across the capital, compared to just 14,470 black cabs. The sixfold difference has led to increasing scrutiny from London Assembly Members and the licensed taxi trade, who argue the imbalance is contributing to gridlock and undermining the livelihoods of cab drivers who face stricter operational requirements.
Alex Wilson, a member of the London Assembly, directly challenged Mayor Sadiq Khan on the issue, asking whether he recognised the consequences of allowing PHVs to multiply at such scale. Wilson pointed to increased traffic, higher emissions, and what he described as unfair competition with black cabs, whose licensing and training processes remain far more rigorous.
In his written response, the Mayor acknowledged the disparity in numbers but defended TfL’s licensing approach. He said the authority is legally required to issue licences to applicants who meet statutory conditions, with the same standards applied to both PHV and taxi applications.
The Mayor also highlighted measures introduced to reduce the environmental and congestion impact of road traffic, including PHVs. He referenced the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), which now covers all of Greater London and imposes a charge on non-compliant PHVs unless they are wheelchair accessible.
Despite these changes, critics argue that the sheer volume of PHVs contributes significantly to congestion. With nearly 100,000 PHVs operating in the city, the effect on traffic flow, journey times and local air quality, particularly in central areas, arguably has some impact. Several stakeholders have renewed calls for a cap on the number of PHVs that can be licensed at any one time, a measure used in cities like Glasgow.
However, the Mayor did not indicate any plans to support such a cap. Legal constraints are likely a key barrier, as current legislation does not give TfL the power to limit PHV numbers purely on the basis of quantity. Any move towards a cap would require changes at government level.
Khan responded: “Transport for London (TfL) publishes licensing data here. The last available data shows that there are 14,470 licensed taxis and 96,788 licensed private hire vehicles (PHVs).
“TfL is legally obliged to issue a licence to anyone who meets the statutory criteria for licensing. This applies equally to both taxi and private hire licence applicants.
“To tackle London’s air quality crisis, I have put in a place a number of initiatives that affect vehicles driven on London’s roads, including PHVs. For example, the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) was introduced in central London in April 2019, expanded to inner London in October 2021 and London-wide in August 2023. PHVs, other than those which are wheelchair accessible which are subject to a grace period until 24 October 2027, are required to meet ULEZ emissions standards or pay a charge to enter the zone.
“To reduce congestion in central London, which can have an impact on air quality, the Congestion Charge exemption for PHVs, apart from those that are wheelchair accessible, was also removed in April 2019.
“The removal of the PHV exemption for the Congestion Charge complements emissions-focused licensing requirements that were introduced for newly licensed PHVs in January 2018.“
