Posted on the 17th July 2026 in PHTM News

PASSENGERS IN NORTHERN ENGLAND MOST RELIANT ON PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLES

Research commissioned by taxi insurance broker The Taxi Insurer has revealed that passengers in northen England are most reliant on private hire vehicles.

The survey found that twice as many people perceive public transport to be unreliable in northern England (8%) than in central England (4%), the south-east (5%) or the south-west (3%).

“Our research shows that northerners rely on PHVs to plug what they see as the gaps in their public transport network far more than those in other English regions,” said David Sweeney from The Taxi Insurer.

“This is clearly reflected in the amount they’re prepared to spend on private hire journeys and how often they make them.”

Northern passengers spend more and more often:

As passengers in northern England view PHVs as a trusted mode of transport, 15% are prepared to spend £101-150 a month on PHV journeys. That’s more than twice as many as in the central region (7%) and comfortably ahead of both the south-east (11%) and south-west (11%).

Similarly, more than one in 10 (13%) of passengers in the north complete a PHV journey once a week, which is the same as in the south-east (13%) and almost twice as many as in central England (7%) and the south-west (7%).

Stark contrast in usage between northern and central regions:

The contrast in PHV habits between passengers in the north and their neighbours in central England is most obvious when you consider the reasons for each group’s usage.

For example, more than twice as many people use PHVs to attend medical appointments in north England (16%) than in the central region (7%).

Professionals in the north are also twice as reliant on PHVs than those in central England, with a tenth (10%) travelling to work or business meetings in them, compared to one in 20 workers in the central area (5%).

And it’s a similar picture when it comes to socialising. Nearly half (46%) of respondents in the north use PHVs to get home after a night out, whereas only a third (34%) in central England do the same.

“All PHV drivers provide an essential service to many passengers who would otherwise have rely on public transport to come their aid, but that’s particularly true in the north.” commented David.

“At a time of rising operating costs and increasing competition, it’s vital that drivers keep their insurance premiums to a minimum.

"To help do that, we recommend they speak to an insurance broker. These specialists have spent years nurturing relationships with a trusted panel of insurer partners and focus on finding products and policies that meet their clients’ requirements and expectations.”

For more information on the unsung role cabbies play in their local communities, please visit: https://www.taxiinsurer.co.uk/.../the-relationship.../


Read another story