TAXI LICENSING DELAYS: “There's a lot of work to go to rebuild trust between TfL and drivers and drivers' organisations” says Mayor
- Perry Richardson
- 6 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
Sadiq Khan has acknowledged the seriousness of Transport for London’s ongoing licensing delays, calling the backlog affecting taxi and private hire drivers “unacceptable”.
Speaking during a recent Assembly session, the Mayor outlined the scale and causes of the disruption, which he said included a cyber incident last year and problems with the rollout of a new licensing software system. These issues have left thousands of drivers waiting for licence renewals or new licences, with some experiencing financial hardship and, in extreme cases, severe personal consequences.
TfL has reportedly begun to take action, including hiring more staff, implementing overtime measures, and setting up a temporary escalation route for trade representatives. Over 1,000 short-term licences have been issued where appropriate, and TfL claims it is now processing more than 7,000 licensing documents per week.
Khan said a senior operations director had been reassigned to deal with the problem directly. He also confirmed TfL is prioritising renewals over new applications, though both remain in progress.
The Mayor indicated that TfL aims to reach a “steady state” for existing drivers by next month, with new applications to be addressed by September. However, he admitted he was “unhappy” with this timeline for new applicants and has requested improvements.
Cases raised during the session included a driver who submitted a renewal five months early but still has no licence, a 15-month wait for another driver in Kingston, and an individual left homeless due to the delays. A family in Twickenham believes stress caused by the licensing issues may have contributed to a driver’s death.
Khan said TfL should assess each case individually and consider compensation where appropriate. “TfL should be looking at drivers’ cases on a case-by-case basis,” he said. “The way TfL has dealt with this issue is not to the standard I expect.”
Assembly Member Elly Baker criticised TfL’s handling of the situation, highlighting thousands of unanswered emails and poor communication with driver representatives. She pressed the Mayor on whether future issues would be dealt with transparently, warning that even elected members had been left in the dark.
Khan responded: “It is unacceptable the way Assembly Members and drivers and representative groups have been treated. I’m looking at whether this section of TfL is fit for purpose.”
He added that rebuilding trust with the industry is now a priority and confirmed he expects regular updates on progress.
Khan said: “So to answer your first point, it is unacceptable the way Assembly members and drivers and representative groups have been treated. Secondly, I'm looking at the issue whether this section of TfL is fit for purpose, because the stories I've heard are heartbreaking. The drivers aren't culpable, in my view, in many of the cases.
“And that's one of the reasons why a senior member of the exec teams, the senior member of the TfL team, has now gone into this department to get a grip, frankly speaking, because you'll appreciate, because both you and this member Roberts have spoken to these drivers, every day they've not got a licence is a day they're not earning money. And so it is a really serious issue. And so I want to reassure the Assembly that I take this very seriously.
“And TfL understand my unhappiness with the way this has been dealt with. But also I want to reassure drivers they should not be fobbed off or feel they've been fobbed off in the way they feel they have been. And I apologise to members of the Assembly if you feel you've been fobbed off as well.
“That is unacceptable from TfL. Thank you very much. And I know there's a lot of work to go to rebuild trust between TfL and drivers and drivers' organisations.”
