
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.

Fareham Borough Council has blocked two men from becoming taxi drivers after a vetting process uncovered hidden criminal convictions and a history of driving offences.

Nottingham City Council has joined forces with the Think Pink initiative to help women break into the taxi industry, where they currently make up only 6% of drivers.

The decision, reached during a licensing committee meeting on April 16, follows national guidance suggesting that cameras can be a vital tool for crime prevention.

Reading Borough Council has introduced rules that lower the maximum age for licensed vehicles from 12 down to 10 years and encourage a shift toward electric cars.

The operation involved special constables working alongside licensing officers from both Warrington Borough Council and the City of Wolverhampton Council.

The council is introducing a single fee structure to replace the old systems used in Northampton, Daventry, and South Northants.

David Brown, from Croy, attacked the 20-year-old victim in December 2023 after stopping his car in a field located between Strathpeffer and Dingwall.

Argyll and Bute Council is required by law to reassess taxi rates every 18 months, with the next set of changes scheduled to take effect in October. 

West Yorkshire Police teamed up with Bradford Council’s licensing department in February to inspect local vehicles and ensure passenger safety.

The arrest happened on March 13, after police spotted 37-year-old Ergys Rexha getting out of a private hire vehicle in Yapton to meet a customer.

An unlicensed driver and a private hire vehicle owner have been ordered to pay more than £3,000 between them following an inspection at Milton Keynes Central Railway Station.

The driver was originally issued a Fixed Penalty Notice for the act, which officials described as "both illegal and unhygienic."

Sefton licensed private hire driver has recently been before the courts after being caught plying for hire and driving without insurance

Mohammed Chowdhury, 56, of Small Heath, had his permits revoked by Tamworth Borough Council after officials decided he was no longer a "fit and proper person" to drive for the public.

The incident began on February 16 when 27-year-old Dmiko Berkley booked a ride from an address in Warrington.

The driver contacted West Norfolk Police on Tuesday afternoon, April 14, after picking up the woman in Terrington and sensing something was wrong.

Autocab, one of the world's leading taxi booking and dispatch software providers, has announced that Frans Hiemstra will join the company as the new CEO. 

A Doncaster councillor’s business will stop providing school transport for the city council following a backlash over his claims that parents "train" their children to "comply" with special education needs criteria.

Taylor Kilburn, 24, was driving his KB Travel taxi in the early hours of the morning last month when he noticed a man standing on the edge of the structure and felt the situation "just didn't look right."

The flag rate, will rise from £3.10 to £3.90 following a four-year freeze on prices.
