A Transport for London (TfL) board meeting chaired by Mayor Sadiq Khan was dramatically suspended on Wednesday as protesters confronted officials over a crippling licensing backlog that has left hundreds of minicab drivers unable to work.

The demonstration followed the tragic death of long-serving driver Robert Dale, 65, who suffered a fatal heart attack last November after months of stress and financial hardship due to TfL's delay in renewing his licence.

Protesters in the public gallery repeatedly called on Mayor Khan to "remember Rob Dale," asserting that Mr. Dale "had a heart attack due to the licence delay."

One protester, escorted out by security, accused TfL of "exploiting" minicab drivers and displaying "double standards" compared to black cab drivers.

Mr. Dale, a married father of two, submitted his licence renewal application in August ahead of its October expiry. His family states that TfL's three-month delay rendered him "anxious, highly stressed, hopeless and fearful."

In a desperate email on October 28, he wrote: "Now I cannot earn a living, can’t pay my bills, can’t pay the mortgage, can’t buy food to feed my family [...] you as an organisation should be ashamed of yourself."

He collapsed and died on November 10; his new licence arrived on November 27.

TfL Commissioner Andy Lord and Chief Operating Officer Claire Mann offered personal apologies at the board meeting for the delays. Ms. Mann stated, "I want to apologise personally for the fact that people have not had their licences renewed in the right timescale."

Mr. Dale's son, Ben, and his family, backed by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB), are demanding that TfL formally acknowledge the delays as a "significant contributory factor" in his death. They also seek a guaranteed right for minicab drivers to have their licences automatically renewed on an emergency basis if processing delays occur.

Ben Dale's letter to Sir Sadiq and Mr. Lord urged TfL to "stop treating this situation as a PR problem and begin treating drivers as human beings," adding, "My father’s life—and the lives of so many others - cannot be collateral damage in a broken licensing system."

Alex Marshall, President of the IWGB Union, condemned the situation as "nothing short of a national scandal."

He highlighted that "For over six months, London’s private hire drivers have been unable to pay their bills or feed their families—yet there is still no resolution in sight." The union is calling for immediate action, including the issuance of temporary licences to all affected drivers.

TfL's director of licensing and regulation, Helen Chapman, extended sympathies to Mr. Dale's family, stating: "We're very sorry for any upset caused to Mr Dale's family by our handling of his case."

She attributed delays to a new licence-processing software introduced in February and recovery from a cyber incident last year. TfL has recruited additional staff and implemented an escalation process to minimise delays and has granted short-term private hire vehicle driver licences where appropriate.

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