The capital’s streets are set to become the ultimate testing ground for the future of transport as Uber and Lyft join forces with Chinese tech titan Baidu to launch fully autonomous taxis in 2026.

The row erupted after Mehmood Fiaz UL Hassan, a private hire driver of seven years, admitted to picking up a passenger without a pre-booking outside Waverley Station.

A total of eight hackney carriages and private hire vehicles were pulled over for inspection, with every single vehicle meeting the necessary legal and safety requirements.

The region’s licensing committee heard last week that despite a move toward more flexible attire in September 2024, an increasing number of drivers are failing to meet basic presentation requirements.

The operation, conducted on December 18, saw officers utilise "new tactics learned from previous operations" to target non-compliant drivers.

An Uber driver was subjected to a racially aggravated verbal attack in the early hours of Sunday morning, 21 December, after refusing to take a man from Sheffield to Brinsworth in Rotherham.

Hillingdon Council has prosecuted a Transport for London taxi driver for contravening a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) and not paying a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).

The enforcement exercise, conducted by North Herts Council on December 10 at Hitchin Railway Station, utilised a lone female operative who requested short journeys within the minimum fare distance.