6-POINTS AND YOU’RE OUT: YouTuber sheds light on huge stresses placed on London taxi drivers

Tom Hutley, a London taxi driver and a popular figure on YouTube, has released an eye-opening video that brings to the fore the intense pressures facing London's cab drivers on a daily basis.

Hutley, known for his engaging and informative content about the life of a taxi driver in the capital, uses his platform to highlight the challenges and risks associated with this profession.

In his latest video, Hutley illustrates how London's taxi drivers, despite being heavily regulated and closely monitored, are vulnerable to losing their licences for seemingly minor infractions. He points out an example where a driver could be penalised for merely looking at a passenger's phone to confirm an address while parked. Such an action, if caught on camera, particularly by social media driven cyclists, could lead to severe consequences including the loss of their licence.

Significant investment is made by taxi drivers, both financially and in terms of time, to enter the trade. The LEVC TX taxi, a common choice among London cabbies, requires an outlay of around £100,000, when considering finance costs. Additionally, drivers dedicate approximately three years of their lives to mastering the Knowledge of London, a demanding test of the city's streets and routes, to provide what is often hailed as the world's best taxi service.

However, recent measures by Transport for London (TfL), including the implementation of a stringent 6-point licence revocation rule post-pandemic, has compounded the pressures on taxi drivers. These regulations mean that drivers, upon falling foul of certain accusations, can lose their livelihoods while still being saddled with years of vehicle finance repayments. A taxi driver who loses their licence can be left with a heavy financial burden, with monthly repayments exceeding £1,000, that impacts drivers and their families.

The stress and risk associated with being a London taxi driver, as Hutley highlights, has arguably contributed to the decline in driver numbers in the capital. His video serves as a candid portrayal of the challenges faced by taxi drivers and calls for a more nuanced understanding of the profession's complexities.

Tom Hutley's voice in this matter is particularly resonant given his background. As a seasoned taxi driver and an influential YouTuber, he offers a unique blend of trusted and honest first-hand experience and a platform that reaches a broad audience. His insights into the world of London's taxi drivers provide valuable perspectives on the realities of navigating this demanding and often underappreciated profession.

What is the Transport for London 6-point revocation?

Taxi drivers in the capital have shown widespread dismay at a new driver policy change that could see their licences SUSPENDED or REVOKED for totting up just 6 driver’s licence penalty points.

Changes to the new policy include:

• For an offence of driving without reasonable consideration, if the courts award 6 or more points, the penalty from TfL could be a licence revocation. If the courts gave less than 6 points TfL could issue a three-month licence suspension.

• For an offence of using a handheld mobile phone, which carries a mandatory 6 points TfL could revoke a licence.

• More than one conviction for a major driving offence within the last five years would merit a licence refusal and no further application would be considered until at least seven years after the most recent conviction.

• Any driver accumulating nine or more penalty points will receive a warning that incurring additional points is likely to result in the loss of their taxi licence.

• Licensed taxi drivers who accumulate 12 penalty points on or after 20 December 2021 will have their taxi licence suspended for six months regardless of whether they are disqualified from driving and lose their DVLA driving licence or not.