The biggest unanswered question around autonomous vehicles (AV) in London is not actually whether the technology works. It is what happens when those vehicles are not carrying passengers. If large fleets of AVs or robotaxis are eventually licensed in London and across the UK, operators will need somewhere for them to wait between jobs, recharge, clean, undergo inspections and reposition for demand. Unlike a human minicab or taxi driver, an empty AV has no reason to stop worki

London’s black cab trade operates under a legislative framework that bears some notable differences to the taxi and private hire licensing rules governing the rest of England. The capital’s regime, administered through Transport for London (TfL), is the product of centuries of accumulated law, professional standards, and vehicle regulation that has produced what operators, corporate travel buyers, and international transport observers widely regard as the benchmark for urban

Taxi and private hire drivers are being urged to rethink where they place mobile phones and driver devices inside their vehicles, following guidance issued by Avon and Somerset Police and local licensing authorities warning that poor placement could lead to fines, penalty points and even the loss of a taxi licence. Guidance issued by Avon and Somerset Police Taxi Compliance Officer PC Patrick Quinton states that drivers should avoid placing devices in positions that block the