
The App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU) is calling on the government to guarantee priority fuel access for private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers in the event of petrol shortages caused by global supply disruption linked to the escalating Iran conflict.
Petrol stations across the UK are already reporting supply issues, following mounting geopolitical tensions and shipping delays in the Red Sea and Gulf region.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has met with energy, shipping, and financial leaders at Downing Street to discuss energy resilience and supply security. However, no organisations representing PHV drivers or frontline transport workers were included in these talks.
ADCU warns that failure to secure fuel priority for PHV drivers will have serious consequences for vulnerable passengers, disabled and elderly people, and others who rely on private hire services for essential journeys – including access to medical appointments, work, and education.
Cristina-Georgiana Ioanitescu, General Secretary of the ADCU, says: “Private hire and app-based taxi drivers are a vital part of our integrated transport system. When buses and trains are inaccessible or unavailable, we are the ones transporting carers, key workers, and people with disabilities safely to their destinations.
"If our drivers can’t fuel up, entire communities will be cut off. The government must recognise PHV drivers as essential transport workers and ensure they have priority access to fuel in any future shortage.”
ADCU is calling on the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to explicitly include PHV drivers in the National Emergency Plan for Fuel (NEP-F), guaranteeing them the same essential worker status and priority refuelling access as emergency services and public transport operators.
“The government’s current focus on energy companies and logistics firms is too narrow,” added Ioanitescu. “Resilience in the fuel supply chain isn’t just about refineries and tankers. It’s about ensuring the people who keep passengers moving can keep working.”
ADCU urges immediate consultation between DESNZ, the Department for Transport, and representatives of licensed drivers to agree a practical, equitable system for fuel prioritisation and communication during emergencies.

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