Taxi Driver Online

Council’s are considering allowing private hire vehicles to be hailed in the street or to be booked via designated ranks. I predict that marshalled private hire ranks will appear again in London under the new law which will be drafted based on the Law Commission’s review of the taxi and private hire market.

London is an anomaly. Throughout the UK, apart from London, private hire drivers and taxi drivers take the same knowledge test. Private hire drivers are regulated to the same level as taxi drivers. In the eyes of the public they are no different. This is all about the customer and vested interests in the taxi trade which will be swept away soon in my opinion.

The Law Commission’s review will consider what is best for the customer. The law will then be changed to provide a better service for the customer. In London marshalled private hire ranks will commence in the west end and city. The taxi touts that have provided this service for years will finally be arrested and they will be replaced with legal private hire ranks to get people home safely. In London these legal private hire ranks will be operated only at night.

I believe this is the reason that taxi touts are allowed to operate throughout London with impunity. TfL is waiting for a change in the law to allow them to establish legal private hire ranks to cope with the demand at night.

Throughout the UK, apart from London, private hire drivers and taxi drivers take the same knowledge test.

Do they?

Do they?