The number of licensed London taxi drivers has continued to fall over the past 12 months, despite signs of increased interest from new applicants entering the trade. According to data from Transport for London , there are 15,978 licensed taxi drivers in the capital as of April 2026, representing a continued downward trend compared with the previous year’s already reduced levels. Weekly figures show a further drop of 26 drivers, with just one new licence issued in the latest r

Diesel prices in the UK have exceeded 190p per litre for the first time in recent months, intensifying financial pressure on high-mileage taxi drivers already grappling with rising operating costs. Latest figures show diesel averaging 191.31p per litre as of 10 April 2026, marking a 48.9p increase since 28 February. This represents a 34.4% rise over the six-week period, significantly outpacing petrol price growth, which rose 25.3p to 158.16p per litre over the same timeframe.

Taxi drivers in London are passing the Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding (SERU) test at far higher rates than private hire drivers, according to new data released by Transport for London (TfL) following a Freedom of Information request . The figures, covering the period from 1 October 2025 to 2 April 2026, show that 94% of taxi driver candidates passed the SERU assessment, compared with just 54% of private hire driver applicants. The data provides one of the clear