
Black cab drivers have welcomed a decision to allow licensed taxis continued access to London's Bank Junction following a successful trial period.
The area, located in the Square Mile, was previously restricted to pedestrians, buses,and cyclists between 7am and 7pm on weekdays, with taxis barred from entry.
The restrictions were eased after City of London Corporation members voted in June 2024 to grant licensed taxis daytime east-west access between Poultry and Cornhill.
A formal trial lifting the restrictions for cabbies began in July 2025, and officers have now officially recommended that these temporary arrangements be made permanent.
Public consultation revealed strong support for the move, with 88 per cent of nearly 4,000 respondents backing east-west access for black cabs, though 72 per cent of cyclists opposed the change.
Cycling campaigners raised safety concerns, with Simon Munk from the London Cycling Campaign warning that having more vehicles through the junction means "the worse conditions will be in terms of road safety".
Safety figures showed that between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2024, the junction averaged 5.67 casualties a year, compared to an annualised average of nine casualties between 1 August 2025 and 31 March.
However, officials noted that a single collision in 2023 had artificially lowered the three-year average, adding that no recorded collisions during the trial involved a taxi, and only two occurred on the east-west corridor.
Paul Brennan, chairman of the London Taxi Drivers’ Association, urged the committee to adopt the officers' recommendation, noting that "licensed taxis are part of London’s public transport network, and decisions about their access should be based on evidence rather than treating them in the same way as private cars."

Tariq Mehmood, 48, of Reading, was found guilty in his absence at High Wycombe Magistrates’ Court on 16 October 2026.

According to the Northampton Telegraph, the boy had been in the local taxi with a group of friends when an argument broke out between him and the driver. 

The surge in hackney carriage applications was highlighted during an Overview and Scrutiny Board meeting on 26 October, where councillors reviewed the local authority’s latest financial performance.

In a recent interview Khan argued that politicians have failed to grasp the sheer speed of technological change and insisted that TfL must be granted direct licensing powers to cap vehicle numbers. 

Under the new structure, basic flag fall rates will rise: with Tariff One moving from £3.50 to £3.90, Tariff Two increasing from £4.10 to £4.60, and Tariff Three jumping from £5.60 to £6.20. 

Violent passenger, Alexander Hindmarsh, who threatened to stab a cabbie in the face and cut out his eyeballs during a terrifying knifepoint attack has been jailed for more than seven years. 

Taxi Law has published research showing that approximately £1.1bn a year could be raised by applying VAT uniformly to private hire fares across the UK.

A long-serving private hire driver has failed in his bid to regain his licence following an alleged sexual assault, despite assuring councillors that police dropped the case without charge.

Mo Ali, a local cabbie, revealed that the problem has escalated sharply in recent weeks, warning that passengers have been spotted carrying bags packed with counterfeit notes. 

Lindsay Scott appeared before Workington’s Magistrates’ Court, where she formally admitted three separate offences stemming from the events of 31 August. 

The victim was targeted while working on Anchor Road at around 4am on Saturday, 20 September, when a group of unknown individuals hurled racial slurs at him before launching a physical attack. 

Mr Nirupakaran previously faced committee scrutiny in May after receiving nine points on his DVLA licence for striking a pedestrian while driving at night in 2023.

The plans would increase fares by approximately 6% for taxis carrying up to four passengers and 8.6% for larger vehicles carrying five to eight passengers.

A Manchester-licensed Hackney Carriage driver has been fined and handed EIGHT penalty points after illegally accepting a fare outside his licensing area following a Manchester United match.

Working alongside licensing enforcement officers from Bristol, South Gloucestershire, North Somerset, Newport and Wolverhampton councils, officers uncovered a number of licensing and vehicle compliance issues.

The driver was caught by Liverpool City Council enforcement officers during an operation in March.

A Peterborough private hire operator is putting community spirit into action by supporting a lifesaving charity.

No further details have been disclosed about the nature of the allegations, the drivers’ identities or the police intelligence involved.

Applicants will no longer have to answer questions about the quickest or most efficient routes, with the council arguing that modern sat-nav technology makes this element of the test unnecessary.

Joshua Stack, 25, from Stafford, was over the drink-drive limit when his vehicle crossed into the opposite lane in January 2024, colliding with an oncoming Toyota Avensis taxi.
