No dedicated anti-touting taxi team planned for Heathrow, confirms Mayor of London
Updated: 5 hours ago
Transport for London (TfL) has no intention of funding a dedicated anti-touting team at Heathrow Airport, according to the Mayor of London.
In response to a direct question from London Assembly Member Bassam Mahfouz, Sadiq Khan confirmed there are currently no plans to allocate specific funding for a focused team tackling touting at the airport.
Despite that, TfL says it continues to act against illegal taxi and private hire activity using existing Operations Officers. Over the past year, more than 60 cases of unlawful activity have been recorded at Heathrow.
The enforcement work has centred around Terminals 2 and 3, with both uniformed and covert patrols deployed. TfL officers are working with police to identify and deter illegal operators targeting arriving passengers.
TfL insists Heathrow remains a priority for enforcement, with operations shaped by intelligence to disrupt unauthorised drivers. The agency says it is committed to maintaining a presence at the airport, working alongside police and airport security teams.
However, the absence of a dedicated anti-touting unit raises questions about the scale and consistency of enforcement efforts in one of the UK’s busiest transport hubs.
Sir Sadiq Khan said: ”Transport for London (TfL) currently does not have any plans to fund a dedicated anti-touting team at Heathrow airport. However, TfL does deploy its own Operations Officers to carry out activities.”
