Private hire drivers across the United Kingdom and globally are staging a 24-hour strike today, Thursday, May 1st, in a coordinated effort to demand better pay, improved working conditions, and crucial protections for gig economy workers.

The Independent Workers of Great Britain (IWGB) is spearheading the action, which sees drivers logging off popular apps such as Uber and Bolt in major UK cities including London, Newcastle, Bristol and Manchester.

The impact is being felt locally, with Manchester drivers joining the global movement and planning a city centre protest this afternoon.

One Greater Manchester driver, identified only as Cosmin, expressed the dire financial straits many face, stating: "Between 4am and 2.30pm [one day this week] I made just £71. Over £20 of that will go on fuel and insurance, without adding the cost of car maintenance overall."

He further highlighted concerns about commission rates, alleging: "Uber shows customers a different price to the fee that we see from rides, and then they charge more than 25pc commission on our earnings. I’ve seen it as high as 40pc sometimes."

Nader Awaad, of the IWGB, powerfully articulated the drivers' collective struggle: “Drivers around the world today are not living but surviving – we’re hanging on by a thread. There are hidden epidemics of depression, chronic pain and broken relationships plaguing the workforce, because of unhealthily long hours spent on the road trying to scrape a living."

He also raised concerns about job security and safety, adding: "We live with the constant threat of losing our income if our accounts are unfairly deactivated, and the anxiety that, with no proper safety protections, we might be the next driver to face violent assault."

Mr Awaad framed the strike as a stand against industry giants, asserting: "Shareholders at the top of this industry think they can get away with devastating drivers’ lives to fund their luxury lifestyles, but workers around the world have had enough, and are uniting across borders to send a powerful message this May Day. This is a global fightback against a broken system.”

Adding to the disruption, a two-hour walkout was planned at Heathrow Airport commencing at 7am. While the airport anticipates "minimal impact" on terminal operations and advises passengers to consider alternative transportation, the action underscores the widespread discontent within the private hire sector.

In response to the global strike, Uber stated they have "taken a number of steps in partnership with Heathrow to mitigate any impact."

A company spokesperson emphasised their ongoing engagement with drivers, particularly through their agreement with the GMB union, which is not participating in the strike.

"Uber is currently meeting with hundreds of drivers across the country to hear directly from them about how we can improve their experience on the platform," the spokesperson said.

Regarding commission rates, while Uber stated that weekly "take rates" average between 20-30%, they did confirm that rates can reach as high as 40% on popular routes, such as those to Manchester Airport. The company also noted that drivers are limited to a maximum of 10 working hours at a time and can view a breakdown of their earnings.

Despite Uber's claims of improved worker benefits, the widespread participation in this global strike, including the planned protest in Manchester, signals that many drivers believe these measures fall short of providing a sustainable and fair livelihood in the demanding gig economy.

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Chester Local Policing Unit is continuing its ongoing efforts to ensure taxis are operating lawfully in the area.

Operation Recordings, carried out by Chester Beat Management Team and the Special Constabulary, was established in a bid to ensure taxis were safe, correctly licensed and compliant with their regulations.

With support from the Cheshire West and Chester Council Licensing Team, over 400 taxis have been stopped and checked since the operation was launched in an attempt to engage with drivers and increase visibility alongside partners in tackling unregistered and unsafe taxis operating in the area.

Over the past weekend (Friday 25 April – Sunday 27 April), officers conducted inspections on a number of locally licensed taxis as well as taxis licensed in other council areas.

Officers were deployed to a number of hotspots for taxis registered both in and outside of Chester. Drivers were engaged with while officers conducted a number of safety checks, including making sure all vehicle lights were fully operational, drivers were in possession of their IDs and, where appropriate, CCTV cameras were in operation.

As a result of the policing activity over the weekend, four taxis were issued with warning notices for faulty break lights and incorrectly displayed number plates.

Inspector James Wilson said: "Operation Recordings was launched by the of the Chester Beat Management Team along with local partners including taxi licencing officers for Cheshire West and Chester, Wolverhampton, Wrexham, Sefton and Flintshire, in order to combat unlicensed passenger vehicles.

"It was reassuring to see that so many of the taxis that operate in our area were compliant with the appropriate legislation.

"Our officers will continue to support the legitimate taxi drivers in Chester and ensure those enjoying a day out here can return home safely."

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Taxi drivers in Cornwall are raising concerns that Cornwall Council's proposal to unify taxi fares across the county could lead to a decline in rural taxi services and increased costs for passengers.

Drivers fear the move is a "backdoor route" to scrapping local fare zones, ultimately pushing drivers towards more profitable urban areas and leaving rural communities behind.

Steven Witchell from Newquay Taxi Forum voiced strong opposition, stating: "On the surface, it may seem like a simple administrative change but in reality, it paves the way for removing the local zones entirely. This subtle shift could lead to a collapse in rural taxi access and service reliability."

He added bluntly, "Let’s be honest, taxis go where the money is."

Witchell explained that Cornwall's six existing taxi zones reflect the county's diverse economic landscape, with urban centers such as Truro, Falmouth, and Bodmin having higher fare opportunities compared to rural and coastal areas with seasonal demand and higher operating costs. He warned that harmonising fares to align with the most expensive zones would lead to higher prices for passengers in quieter areas such as Penwith, Kerrier, and Restormel, potentially making local travel unaffordable.

"This could make local travel unaffordable for residents, while encouraging drivers to abandon rural zones for the more profitable urban centres," he cautioned.

The drivers' concerns go beyond just fares, with Witchell emphasising: "This is about more than fares. It’s about survival." He argued that if fares are the same everywhere and zones are scrapped, drivers will be forced to prioritise profit over serving less lucrative rural areas.

"If fares are the same everywhere, and zones are scrapped, we’ll have no choice but to chase the money. That won’t be the less profitable rural areas, it’ll be Truro, Falmouth and Bodmin," he predicted.

While the council may cite national guidance recommending de-zoning, Witchell pointed out that the Department for Transport's own advice acknowledges that "'zoning may reflect local conditions or historical arrangements and may continue to be appropriate in some circumstances.'"

Critics like Witchell believe the plans are less about improving passenger service and more about council cost-cutting. "By unifying fares, the council is effectively laying the groundwork for de-zoning without any formal debate or consultation," he alleged.

He concluded by highlighting the potential negative impact on vulnerable residents: "The real losers will be the elderly, the disabled, and families in places no one will want to serve anymore."

Witchell passionately defended the current zoned system, stating: "The zoned system isn’t broken. It has evolved organically to reflect the needs of communities across Cornwall from town centres to isolated villages. It ensures fair pricing, viable business, and reliable service where it’s needed most."

He stressed the crucial role of zones in ensuring accessibility for rural passengers, saying: "The zones exist for a reason. They allow rural passengers to still get a cab in the middle of winter, and they let local drivers stay local without being forced to abandon their own communities to chase profit in city centres."

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A 21-year-old Leeds man who threatened to "smash" a taxi driver's face and later kicked a police officer has been jailed for eight months.

Bobby Smith's sentence, which was initially deferred in January, was activated at Leeds Crown Court on April 25 after a judge ruled he had not complied with a previous court order.

His Honour Simon Batiste detailed the incident, which occurred on November 16 last year in Pontefract, stating that Smith "refused to get out of the taxi" and was "threatening to the driver and threatening to smash his face in."

When police arrived, Smith continued his aggressive behaviour, threatening to "knock the taxi driver out."

The situation escalated further when Smith was being transported to the police station. According to Judge Batiste, Smith "made a number of threats of what you were going to the police" and "refused to get out of the police vehicle," leading to the deployment of PARVA spray. Once in the holding cell, Smith then "kicked a female police officer to her leg."

The court also heard that Smith was already in breach of a suspended sentence order from May of the previous year for dangerous driving, with further breaches leading to an extension of his unpaid working hours in September.

Despite the deferred sentence on January 30, which came with conditions to commit no further offences, attend all probation appointments, and complete unpaid work, Judge Batiste found Smith had failed to fully comply.

While the court heard he attended five out of nine appointments, with three absences deemed acceptable by the Probation Service, the judge stated these absences were "not acceptable to him."

Mitigating for Smith, Tom Doyle argued that "custody would be catastrophic for him at this stage and he will be wasting the prospect of rehabilitation." However, Judge Batiste was unconvinced, stating: "It is clear that despite being warned in crystal clear terms if you failed to comply with the order [what would happen] and you have failed. It shows you have no real regard for the order."

Smith will serve half of his eight-month sentence in custody before being released on licence.

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Macclesfield Local Policing Unit joined forces with Cheshire East Council in an operation designed keep people safe.

The operation, which was conducted on Friday 25 April and Saturday 26 April revolved around officers conducting inspections of both locally licensed taxis and those licensed in other council areas that operated in Macclesfield and Poynton.

Over the two nights, officers were deployed to Poynton and Macclesfield Train Stations and taxis ranks, a main hub for taxis registered both in and outside of the two areas.

While at the ranks, officers from both the LPU and Cheshire East Council engaged with the drivers and conducted a number of safety checks, including making sure all vehicle lights were fully operational, drivers were in possession of their IDs and, where appropriate, CCTV cameras were in operation.

They also checked they had road tax and insurance, the driving licence of the driver, whether the taxi is registered correctly, and whether they have the valid permits to operate.

Officers from Macclesfield Beat Management worked alongside officers from the Roads and Crime Unit in Macclesfield Town Centre on Friday and Saturday night conducting inspections of both locally licensed taxis and those licensed in other council areas that operate in Cheshire East.

Over the course of both nights, more than 60 taxis were stopped in Macclesfield and Poynton. Twenty-five of them were issued with Traffic Offence Reports for a variety of offences including having tyres below the legal tread depth, driving without due care and attention, using the Pedestrianised Zone as a cut through, misuse of hazard lights, failing to maintain obligatory lights, a driver not wearing a seatbelt and rear registration mark light not lit during darkness.

Four taxis have been reported to the local authority for licensing offences including failing to display taxi plates correctly.

Inspector Nick Rogers said: “It was really reassuring to see that so many of the taxis that operate in our towns were compliant with the appropriate legislation, with the few found to be in breach being swiftly dealt with.

"Our officers will continue to support the legitimate taxi drivers in and around Macclesfield with this operation. In fact, we expect we will use this tactic in other Cheshire East areas now that we have seen its benefits in keeping people safe.”

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