Freenow by Lyft and the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) have jointly written to Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood seeking urgent discussions on the future of the UK’s black cab trade, warning that falling vehicle numbers and rising costs threaten the long-term sustainability of the sector. In a letter sent to the Roads Minister, Danny O’Gorman, General Manager of Freenow by Lyft UK, and Steve McNamara, General Secretary of the LTDA, requested a meeting to discuss

Taxi and private hire applicants with criminal convictions are not automatically barred for life, but strict rehabilitation periods can keep drivers out of the industry for years after an offence. The rejection of a private hire driver’s licence application this week following convictions linked to dishonesty offences has highlighted a question frequently asked across the taxi and private hire industry: when can a convicted person return to the trade? The answer depends not o

An individual has been convicted after transporting schoolchildren on behalf of a school transport service in Carmarthenshire while not holding the required taxi driver’s licence. At Llanelli Magistrates’ Court on 17 April 2026, David Rhydian Thomas, was found guilty of conveying children on a school transport route on five occasions between 1 October and 8 October 2025. The offences involved driving a licensed private hire vehicle without holding a valid Hackney Carriage and