
Sadiq Khan has faced fierce criticism from the Conservatives after Transport for London (TfL) ran up a compensation bill exceeding £7 million due to severe delays in issuing licences to taxi and private hire drivers.
Almost 18,000 drivers have received payouts between £300 and £500 under a Goodwill Payment Scheme, which was introduced to support those whose livelihoods were disrupted.
The backlog stemmed from the introduction of new licence processing software combined with the fallout from an earlier cyber security incident.
TfL had previously faced threats of legal action over the "significant hardship" caused to private hire drivers waiting months for renewals.
Mid-June figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request revealed that 17,972 payments totaling £7,642,120 had been made, leaving London farepayers to foot the bill for drivers whose renewed licences were issued between September 2024 and December 2025.
Conservative politicians were quick to condemn the Mayor of London's oversight.
Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden remarked: "Labour's Mayor of London once again proves his woeful administration is wasting Londoners millions of pounds and holding our capital back," calling the situation "simply a disgrace."
Meanwhile, Braintree MP Sir James Cleverly noted that "Londoners deserve a transport system that works for those who rely on it and those who pay for it."
In response, a TfL spokesperson apologised to the affected drivers and confirmed that extra staff were recruited alongside issuing short-term licences to ease the backlog.
TfL stated that the renewal process has now returned to a "consistently steady operating position" and that applications expiring within the next six weeks are currently being prioritised to prevent further work interruptions.

Two long-serving taxi firms in Banbridge, Q Cabs and Bann Taxis, have officially closed their doors after decades of service and handed over their operations to fonaCAB.

The council explained that the adjustment "would retain the existing start fares but reduce the initial distance and time covered by those fares, resulting in fares moving to the next increment sooner."

The petition demands that airports provide free or low-cost options for brief passenger stops, rather than charging substantial fees just to let someone out before a flight.

City councillors on the public safety and protection sub-committee concluded that the driver, identified only as CB, demonstrated a very concerning pattern of behaviour.

Ghost plates are those that have been manufactured or altered to prevent cameras reading the plate. 

The issue has long frustrated local residents, many of whom have questioned why so many vehicles carrying passengers hold licences issued by distant authorities rather than Greater Manchester.

Aftab Shah was driving a passenger from the Bradford Interchange along Halifax Road shortly after 12:30am on Monday, July 27, when the projectile shattered his side window.

Full breakdown in PHTM September issue AND detailed tables with numbers updated for each licensing authority will be updated on PHTM website in due course.

A new global analysis by commercial vehicle insurer Zego has revealed that a typical metered cab journey from the airport to central London averages £92.20.

Stephen Woods appeared before Bath magistrates on Wednesday, August 5, following the ugly confrontation that unfolded on May 10 outside the Bath Spa railway station.

The licensing committee has approved plans to reduce the taxi rank on Stockwell Street from four spaces down to just two as part of the wider Avenues street upgrade programme.

Oliver Dryden, a 30-year-old from Orpington, launched the savage attack after a minor road traffic collision on Crossways Boulevard in Dartford on January 15, 2025.

The proposed changes impact journeys across the board, with different rates set for daytime travel, late-night trips, and travel on weekends or public holidays.

Dave Etheridge, Licensing leader from Tewkesbury BC said: "A few issues to follow up on, but no serious defects found with our licensed vehicles."

The proposed changes have been developed in consultation with the council's appointed testing garages.

The taxi fares review recommended the 25p addition as a short-term fix to help drivers manage spiking overheads, as weell as other changes to the scales.

Campaigners have spoken out after experiencing discrimination and service failures in Cardiff, where the number of WAV taxis has plummeted from 475 in 2010 to just 168 today.

The driver stated: "he had previously received penalty points which had fallen away" and admitted "on several occasions" he failed to notify a different licensing authority about his points

Harry Chinkumbi, 34, targeted a 24-year-old and her friend in the early hours of 22 September 2024 after they stated they could not get a taxi home from Glasgow city centre.

Lewisham councillor and Disabled People's Champion, Maria McKenna, endured a gruelling hour-long journey in her electronic wheelchair, after waiting nearly two hours for a vehicle that never arrived.
