Posted on the 24th August 2026 in PHTM News

FOREST OF DEAN FACES TAXI DESERT CRISIS WITH ONLY 58 LICENSED VEHICLES FOR NEARLY 90,000 RESIDENTS

Rural communities in the Forest of Dean are facing a severe transport shortage after new figures revealed there are just 58 licensed taxis and private hire vehicles serving a local population of nearly 90,000 people.

According to Department for Transport statistics from April 2026, this equates to a mere 0.6 vehicles for every 1,000 residents, placing the district among the areas most vulnerable to becoming a rural taxi desert.

The local fleet consists of just six licensed hackney carriages and 52 private hire vehicles, leaving residents with very few options as local bus routes and public services are scaled back.

The stark local figures reflect a wider national divide between urban and rural transport availability. While major towns and cities boast an average of 7.6 licensed vehicles per 1,000 residents, intermediate rural areas manage only 1.9.

Across England as a whole, total licensed vehicles rose by nine per cent to 342,300 since 2024, though this growth was driven entirely by a 13 per cent surge in private hire vehicles, while traditional hackney carriage numbers fell by seven per cent.

Experts note that the true availability of local cabs in the Forest of Dean may be even lower than the figures suggest. Licensing records do not account for whether vehicles are actually on the road at specific times, and many registered cars are tied up with school contracts or operate outside the district entirely, leaving rural passengers struggling to secure rides.


Read another story