The Disappearing Act: Tom the Taxi Driver describes why London is missing 33% of its taxi drivers in latest video
Updated: Jul 23, 2024
London’s iconic black cabs are facing a crisis. The city is losing approximately 1,000 taxi drivers every year, and if the trend continues, there might be no London taxi drivers left by 2040.
Taxi driver and popular video creator Tom Hutley delves into the reasons behind this worrying decline and explores potential solutions on his Tom the Taxi Driver YouTube channel.
Historically, the number of licensed taxi drivers in London has remained steady at around 25,000. However, by mid-2024, this number had dropped to 17,250. Various factors have contributed to this sharp decline.
The arrival of Uber in 2012 had an immediate impact on the market. While it didn't cause an instant drop in taxi driver numbers, its long-term effects became more apparent after 2015. According to Hutley, the competition from Uber and other ride-sharing services has undeniably played a role in the decrease of traditional taxi drivers.
One significant issue has been the drop in new applicants for the Knowledge, the rigorous test required to become a London taxi driver. During the pandemic, new applications were halted, further reducing the influx of new drivers. Although applications have started to rise again, the numbers are still not enough to replace the retiring drivers.
Since 2017, new diesel taxis have been banned, and the lifespan of existing diesel taxis was reduced from 15 to 12 years. This regulation pushed many older drivers towards early retirement. The delicensing scheme, which offered financial incentives for retiring older diesel taxis, coincided with low work levels during COVID-19, further exacerbating the situation.
The pandemic also hit taxi rental fleets hard. Many drivers returned their rented taxis as they could no longer afford the weekly payments. This led to a significant reduction in available taxis when demand returned in late 2020 and 2021. Fleet owners struggled to provide enough vehicles, which discouraged many potential drivers from re-entering the market.
Younger generations today have a plethora of career options, reducing the appeal of becoming a taxi driver. With opportunities in tech and finance the traditional job of a taxi driver seems less attractive to many.
Hutley’s latest video provides a wealth of further insightful into the challenges facing London’s taxi industry. In other videos he highlights the personal benefits of being a taxi driver, including autonomy and flexibility, and shares his experiences and observations from within the industry to nearly 100,000 YouTube subscribers.
