Several London councils actively promoting anti-car policies are facing accusations of hypocrisy after it was revealed they have collectively spent thousands of pounds on taxis for their own staff.

These local authorities, often lauded by cycling and environmental groups, are under scrutiny for their expenditure on chauffeurs and minicabs, seemingly contradicting their public stance on reducing car usage.

Ealing Council, which declared a climate emergency in 2019 and aims for carbon neutrality by 2030, has spent at least £30,000 on taxis over the past three years. However, the true figure is likely to be higher as the council declined to disclose taxi expenses categorized as "other business expenses."

Their own "Climate and Ecological Emergency Strategy" emphasises that most short journeys can be made by walking, cycling, or public transport to reduce emissions. Despite this, data obtained by The Times indicates their taxi spending has remained relatively consistent.

Similarly, Hackney Council, which has implemented low-traffic neighborhoods (LTNs) across a significant portion of its road network and encourages residents to "leave the car at home and walk, cycle or take public transport instead" through its "Change One Thing" initiative, has spent nearly £20,000 on cabs since 2020. Freedom of information figures show their taxi expenditure has also remained largely unchanged since 2022.

Adding to the controversy, Lambeth Council, which became notorious for ­introducing an LTN that resulted in such congestion that buses were taking two hours to travel three miles, reportedly spent £10,000 on a chauffeur-driven limousine for its mayor last year.

Joanna Marchong, Investigations Campaign Manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, criticised this apparent double standard, stating: “This ‘do as I say, not as I do’ attitude undermines public trust.”

In response, a spokesman for Ealing Council defended their spending, explaining: “Staff policy only permits car transport where there is no suitable alternative, such as for moving equipment or where there are accessibility or safety requirements.”

Hackney Council stated their daily taxi spending amounted to only £16 last year, adding: “We are proud of our position as a leader in active and sustainable travel, and over 90 per cent of our staff walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work.”

The Times' investigation sought information from the top ten councils rated by the Healthy Streets Scorecard, a campaign highlighting authorities promoting sustainable transport. However, most of these councils either refused to fully disclose or claimed they couldn't readily access their taxi expenditure data.

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Dozens of private hire drivers in Derby staged a protest rally on Wednesday, May 14th, expressing their strong opposition to a new Derby City Council rule concerning the age of newly licensed vehicles.

The regulation, implemented in April, mandates that private hire vehicles must be five years old or less when first licensed by the authority.

While existing licensed vehicles up to 15 years old can still be used, drivers fear the "strict" new rule could lead to business closures if their vehicles are damaged or deteriorate. They also argue it could deter new drivers from entering the trade.

Michael Rowlands, owner of a local private hire firm and initiator of an online petition against the rule, stated: "This particular clause affects every Derby driver and we will not have a private hire industry if the council put these barriers in place. It is a problem – it just does not make any sense."

The GMB union, representing the drivers, echoed these concerns, predicting a "big impact" as drivers might face significant costs to replace vehicles with newer models if their current ones are compromised.

The union claims the expense of a vehicle less than five years old could reach around £15,000, potentially forcing drivers out of business or prompting them to seek licenses elsewhere.

Derby City Council maintains the new age limit aims "to ensure vehicles are in good condition and more likely to meet current safety and emissions standards," asserting that most drivers will not be affected.

A Derby City Council spokesperson acknowledged the protest, saying: "We acknowledge and respect the right of private hire drivers to peacefully protest.

"We have received their petition outlining concerns regarding the change to licensing requirements and will give it careful consideration before providing a formal response in due course."

The petition has been submitted to the council for review.

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West Yorkshire Police have released CCTV images of a man they are urgently seeking in connection with a "serious assault" on a taxi driver in Bingley.

The incident occurred in the early hours of Saturday, April 12th, in the Littlelands area, following a dispute over the fare.

According to a police spokesperson, the male passenger, who was reportedly wearing red clothing, attacked the driver, leaving him with facial injuries. The assailant also allegedly damaged the taxi before fleeing the scene at approximately 3:30am.

Authorities are appealing to the public for assistance in identifying the individual pictured.

"Anyone who recognised the man in the pictures, or who had information about the incident, was asked to get in touch with police," the spokesperson stated.

Anyone with information is urged to contact West Yorkshire Police immediately.

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Taxi drivers licensed by Telford & Wrekin Council will no longer be required to remove factory-fitted tinted windows, councillors have decided. 

The move aims to ease burdens on drivers and potentially increase the number of taxis operating in the borough.

The licensing committee heard on Tuesday 13 May that road-legal tints still allow passengers to be seen in silhouette from outside the vehicle, ensuring sufficient visibility. 

A council official explained: "Road legal tints still allow sufficient lighting for somebody who is in the rear in terms of silhouettes to be visible." 

The newly adopted policy specifically bans "after-market tints."

Council officers expressed confidence that public safety would not be compromised by the change, which also brings Telford & Wrekin in line with neighbouring councils and national "best practice." 

An officer told the committee: "The view from officers is that in effect it poses no risk to public safety." 

They added that removing factory tints can be more difficult than other types of tint, and the previous requirement might have deterred some drivers. "If you are a driver and you have a road legal vehicle one of the things that might put you off is the fact that you’ve got this issue that you have got to sort out," the official noted.

The committee was informed that increasing the number of private hire vehicles would be beneficial for residents, particularly in areas where it is currently "difficult to get private hire vehicles." 

While acknowledging that the council cannot profit from taxi licensing, members were told that an increase in licensed drivers could potentially lower overall costs. "It’s not a race to the bottom, we’re not seeking to open the floodgates," councillors were assured.

Furthermore, the council believes that licensing more cabs within its jurisdiction will enhance its regulatory control. Drivers working in Telford but licensed elsewhere can be referred back to their licensing authority. 

An officer stated that Telford and Wrekin Council aims to be "business supporting and business winning" and hopes this policy change will make it a more attractive option for drivers.

However, Councillor Karen Tomlinson expressed concerns about operators from outside the area conducting business in Telford, but was informed that "we are where we are" with taxi deregulation.

The committee also approved the creation of a specialist restricted licence for drivers wishing to work solely on school or social transport, a move officials hope will attract even more drivers. 

Currently, Telford & Wrekin licenses 300 vehicles, 350 drivers, and 24 operators.

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Uber has criticised Aberdeen City Council's temporary decision to allow airport taxis to operate city-wide during the Tall Ships festival and Offshore Europe, arguing it proves the city desperately needs more licensed drivers. 

The ride-hailing giant contends that the temporary relaxation of operating rules underscores a significant shortage of taxis that is "holding back the city."

The council's licensing committee recently agreed to the temporary measure to address concerns about a lack of available taxis during the influx of visitors for the major events. Typically, airport taxis are restricted to airport runs.

Matthew Freckelton (pictured), Uber's head of cities, seized on the decision, stating: "This move from Aberdeen Council clearly shows that there is an unmet demand for taxis in the city. We know this from the 170,000 trip requests in our app since we launched." 

He further claimed: "This huge unmet demand is holding back the city, especially when it comes to major events such as the Tall Ships Races."

Uber, which launched in Aberdeen in October, reports that thousands of trip requests have gone unanswered due to a limited number of licensed drivers. 

Mr. Freckelton asserted that Uber's data indicates a need for "over 100 drivers in the city" even during normal weeks.

While Uber is understood to have only a "single digit" number of drivers in Aberdeen, a recent Licenced Vehicle Surveys and Assessment report suggested "no significant unmet demand and no overprovision of private hire cars." 

However, the report did acknowledge limited availability during peak times, particularly on Saturday nights.

Supporting Uber's concerns, Aberdeen businessman Bob Keiller, head of Our Union Street, also believes there is a taxi shortage and urged the council to drop the "street knowledge test" for new drivers. 

"The number of licensed drivers in Aberdeen has fallen by about half in the last 10 years," Mr. Keiller stated, adding: "We have far fewer taxis, proportionately, than either Edinburgh or Glasgow – we have about half the number we had 10 years ago and it is damaging our economy." 

He emphasised: "I don’t care if new drivers work for local operators or international companies, we just need more of them."

The temporary rule change will be in effect for the Tall Ships festival from 6 pm on Friday, July 18, to 11:59 pm on Tuesday, July 22, and for Offshore Europe from Tuesday, September 2, to Friday, September 5.

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