Taxi General Secretary moves to reassure cabbies trade WILL be around for decades to come
- Perry Richardson
- 5 hours ago
- 2 min read
The General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), Steve McNamara, has moved to reassure drivers following reports that London’s black cab trade could disappear within two decades.
A recent report by the Centre for London, backed by FREENOW, warned that on current trends, there would be no licensed black cabs left by 2045. While the report included a series of recommendations to strengthen the industry, headlines largely focused on the prediction of decline.
Responding to the media reaction, McNamara said: “We aren’t about to let that happen.” He acknowledged that the comments in the press had dented confidence among some drivers but stressed that the trade remains vital to the capital’s transport system.
The Centre for London’s report outlines the financial and regulatory pressures facing the industry. Vehicle and driver numbers have both dropped significantly over the past decade. Operating costs have risen sharply, while grants supporting vehicle upgrades have been cut. The average cost of running a cab rose by 41% in just five years.
Despite this, demand for black cabs remains strong, particularly for accessible transport. The report also confirmed that the majority of Londoners support the trade and want to see more action taken to preserve it.
McNamara said in TAXI Newspaper: “Many of you will have seen headlines a couple of weeks ago claiming that the cab trade would be gone in 20 years. Well, I am here to tell you that we aren’t about to let that happen.
“The report by the Centre for London, sponsored by FREENOW, made some sensible recommendations about how TfL and the Mayor should be supporting our trade, but of course the journalists focused on the negative bits and went with the scary headline.
“It’s not hugely helpful to us in the trade to hear things like that, and I know for some it was a blow undermining confidence. On the other hand, the benefit of headlines designed to shock, is that they put more pressure on TfL and the Mayor to actually do something, if they don’t want to be blamed for our apparently forthcoming demise.
“In response to the report, I did the rounds telling everyone that we aren’t going anywhere but that we do need more support to reverse the negative trends in driver and vehicle numbers impacting our trade right now. I also made it clear that there is demand and a clear role and need for black cabs, which won’t change any time soon.”
