Taxi and PHV licensing in London
Transport for London (TfL) is a statutory body established by the Greater London Authority Act 1999 and is the licensing authority for London’s taxi and private hire industries.
Taxis and private hire vehicles (PHVs) play an important role in delivering passenger transport services in London and it is important that standards set by TfL ensure the safety of passengers and other road users and provide for appropriate levels of service.
Improving safety and security across the transport network is the key priority for the Mayor of London’s Transport Strategy (MTS) and the Mayor has set out a Vision Zero approach to safety on London’s streets while ensuring the transport system is safe and secure for all passengers. The policies and guidance in this document support the aims and objectives of the MTS and Vision Zero.
This document sets out TfL’s approach on the consideration of taxi and private hire driver licence applications and associated matters in London. It is important to note that this document seeks to provide general guidance and while TfL will maintain consistency, each case will be considered on its own particular merits. TfL will also take in to account other relevant legislation (e.g. Human Rights Act 1998, Equality Act 2010), whereby all are treated fairly and equally.
In determining its licensing policy, TfL will have regard to the Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards published by the Secretary of State for Transport under section 177(1) of the Policing and Crime Act 2017. TfL has an ongoing programme to consider those recommendations in the Statutory Standards which are not already TfL policy, and this document will be updated accordingly as further measures are introduced.
