
Taxi and ambulance drivers have the lowest risk of dying from Alzheimer's disease -among nearly 450 occupations, according to a 2024 study of almost 9 million death certificates.
Roughly 1 in 100 taxi and ambulance drivers died of the disease, compared with 1 in 60 people overall.
Researchers found that the protective benefit comes from continuous real-time navigation rather than driving itself. The constant work of locating oneself in space, tracking destinations and updating mental maps, exercises the hippocampus, the brain region that governs memory and spatial navigation and is among the first areas damaged by Alzheimer's.
Drivers with fixed or predetermined routes, such as bus drivers and pilots, did not experience this advantage.
Landmark research shows that this intensive navigation physically reshapes the brain.
A famous study on London cabbies found that those who completed "The Knowledge" - requiring them to memorise over 25,000 streets - had measurably more grey matter in the posterior hippocampus. As researchers noted, the volume of grey matter "tracked with experience: The longer someone had driven, the larger that part of the brain. The change was built through practice, not inherited."
Additional studies suggest that living or working in spatially complex environments that force active map building, exercises the exact circuitry that Alzheimer's attacks first.
Experts believe that routinely engaging these cognitive systems builds cognitive reserve, which is the "brain's capacity to continue functioning despite disease" and helps delay cognitive decline.

Police are investigating an alleged racial abuse incident targeting a taxi driver in Warsash after three passengers were picked up in the Brook Avenue area.

Edward Howard, 28, from Shelf, Halifax, carried out the attack near Cleckheaton on November 10, 2025, after becoming heavily intoxicated following a night out in Leeds city centre.

Shak Rahman, 48, struck the victim as he crossed Percy Street after finishing work, throwing him into the air and onto the windscreen before he landed heavily on the road.

A Carlisle cabbie who was grabbed from behind and put in a headlock by a drunk passenger refusing to pay a £28 fare fought back by biting his attacker on the wrist. 

Dashcam manufacturer Nextbase released exclusive footage to ITV News highlighting these fraudulent schemes, where criminals intentionally cause collisions to exploit motor insurance policies.

While the initial phase will feature a licensed private hire driver behind the wheel rather than full automation, the decision has drawn swift criticism and caution from officials and unions alike.

The public consultation closes at midday on Friday, August 7, with the council urging anyone with an interest in the future of taxi and private hire services in the district to take part before the deadline.

The decision marks a major milestone for ride-hailing giant Uber and British artificial intelligence firm Wayve, making London the first city in the world to deploy Wayve’s commercial autonomous technology. 

Emergency services were called to Asbridge Street at around 6.45am on Tuesday, 4 August, after a silver Toyota Corolla PHV collided with the property, causing visible damage to the vehicle.

The council has confirmed it has received a claim for a judicial review regarding "certain aspects" of its updated Hackney Carriage and PH Licensing Policy, which was originally approved on 19 March

Mohammad Karim, 27, was sentenced in his absence at Boston Magistrates' Court after failing to attend due to illness.

Under the proposal, which will now go to full council for final approval, the current ten-year age limit on licensed vehicles will be increased to 15 years exclusively for electric models.

The driver was parked on a nearby street waiting for his next booking after completing an Uber journey when an unknown man approached his car.

In meeting minutes detailing the refusal, the panel concluded that "on the balance of probabilities" the unnamed applicant was "not a fit and proper person to hold a private hire driver licence."

Local firms argue that the timing of the enforcement undermines their livelihoods during the most profitable period of the year.

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.

Now part of Vertu Motors following its acquisition last summer, the business continues to provide servicing, parts and specialist support tailored to professional drivers who own and run LEVC Hackney carriages

The drivers accepted unbooked fares from undercover licensing officers - violating strict regulations that stipulate only hackneys licensed within Trafford can be hailed directly in the borough.

The unannounced inspections were carried out to ensure licensed cabs continue to meet strict safety and reliability standards for local passengers.

Despite clear signage prohibiting taxis, local cabbies continue to block the area near the Platform 4 entrance, creating severe congestion for pedestrians and other motorists, especially during evening hours.
