Mayor Ken Writes on the future of London's licensed taxi industry
The next decade could hold huge potential for London’s Licensed Taxi trade. The combination of a rising population, growing business activity and employment, plus some of the new initiatives I intend introducing, such as congestion charging in central London and greater support for Taxicard, are all likely to see demand for taxis rise steeply.
Already London taxis are a vital cog in London’s transport network. They link buses; the Tube, over-ground trains and other parts of the public transport network, and meet important demands for a door-to-service. At night they are the safest form of transport for women and men alike.
With the transfer of the Public Carriage Office to Transport for London, ultimate responsibility for regulating the taxi trade has passed to me, as Mayor. I see this as a great opportunity to help the trade prepare for the challenges ahead. Last week I met the T&G, LTDA, LCDC, SPLT, Radio Taxis, Corn Cab, and Dial-a-Cab to discuss the way forward.
One problem is the shortage of taxis at night. There simply aren’t enough taxis working unsocial hours. As a result many young people in particular risk rides with illegal, unsafe and sometimes uninsured taxi touts to get home.
Clearly there are not enough black cabs working nights because the financial incentive to do so is not sufficient. That is why I want to see an increase in the night tariff. Having listened to trade representatives my view is that the best solution is a percentage increase on the main tariff in the evenings and at night rather than as an extra which might lead to an increase in are disputes. We need a few months to sort out technical problems with some meters that can’t adapt to this change, but by the end of the summer I intend to introduce a new night tariff.
This will really make it worth drivers while to work at night. In return, Londoners will expect the highest quality of service. That is why I have started discussing a package of measures to maintain and enhance the provision of black cab services in London. For example, the 6 mile compellable limit was developed in the days of horse-drawn hackney cabs. In the modern age it doesn’t make sense. I have asked Transport for London to consult with the trade about widening the distance. I have also approved the installation of CCTV cameras in black cabs to help prevent offences against drivers. To protect passenger privacy, images from these cameras will not be available to drivers and would only be viewable by the PCO or the police in the event of a reported crime.
Equally important is passenger safety. I hope the new night rate will increase the number of taxis, so young women leaving night-clubs have a safer option for getting home. I will also discuss with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner an action plan to crackdown on illegal touts. To protect the well earned reputation of London taxis it is important to ensure that the rigorous standards of the ‘Knowledge’ are maintained. But candidates should be able to progress through the ‘Knowledge’ at a speed appropriate to their ability and commitment. There must be no dilution of the knowledge. But it cannot be right that candidates now have to wait an average of 55 months to pass.
I would like to see incentives for candidates who wish to, to be able to gain a yellow badge and work the suburbs for a while, before moving on to gain a green badge.This, plus piloting new taxi ranks at suburban transport interchanges, may help to meet unsatisfied demand for taxi services in outer London. TfL will work with the radio circuit operators in particular to try and make a success of new ranks.
We also need to ensure that the opportunity to become a licensed taxi driver is genuinely open to all Londoners. It reflects badly on the capital that in a city with a population as diverse as London’s there are so few black, Asian and women drivers in the premier league of the door-to-door transport industry.
There is also, of course, the issue of properly regulating and enforcing the private hire trade. Enforcing the licenses of 1,600 or more private hire operators and 40,000 drivers and cracking down on those who insist on trying to operate outside the law will require significant additional resources. We will probably need at the very least one enforcement officer for every thousand cabs. By the end of October this year all private hire operators in London will be required by law to have obtained a license. Once this is completed we will be able to progress in earnest with licensing drivers and vehicles.
Collectively, this amounts to a comprehensive agenda for the taxi trade in London. Over the next few months I intend to work closely with trade representatives to develop this agenda. Together I hope we can set in motion a programme to maintain London's black cabs as the envy of the world.
Ken Livingstone
Mayor of London