The London private-hire car industry, comprising 2,400
predominantly family-run businesses, is under mounting financial
pressure that could lead to multiple collapses as a result of the
change in the Transport for London (TfL) licensing regime.
Read Upside - Autumn 2018
In September 2017, TfL approved increases that will see
five-year licensing fees for some private-hire car operators in
London leap from being less than £3,000 to £700,000 in
some instances.1
At a judicial review, the Licensed Private Hire Car Association
(LPHCA) was seeking an injunction to halt the fee increases and
force TfL back to the negotiating table. As part of the case, it
has presented evidence based on TfL’s own figures that some
40 operators have already collapsed. The LPHCA lost the case in May
2018, and so the new licensing regime is now expected to be
implemented.
