Addison Lee seeing ‘some positive increases’ despite TfL PHV driver numbers continuing to fall
Addison Lee are seeing ‘some positive increases’ in driver recruitment despite the continued fall in the number of private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers licensed by Transport for London (TfL) as a whole.
In October 2021 Addison Lee, one of London’s largest ground transport providers, announced they were looking to recruit 1,000 new drivers to meet growing demand for its services in London as the capital recovered from the pandemic.
The number of PHV drivers licensed in the capital has dropped to 96,106, down 15,660 since April 2020, according to latest TfL data.
Wesley Bishop, Addison Lee Chief Commercial Officer, said: “Since 2020, the number of Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) drivers licensed by Transport for London has continued to fall. We continue to prioritise driver recruitment efforts and are seeing some positive increases.
“Drivers are at the heart of our business, so we are really doing all we can to support any new drivers that want to enter the industry and to help existing PHV drivers as they reapply for their licenses.”
The major private hire driver shortage continues to impact the whole of the UK. A study released in February 2022 showed almost 70% of regular cab users have struggled or completely failed in their attempt to book a cab since December 2021.
The research, commissioned by taxi technology company Autocab, revealed that almost three quarters of respondents missed or were late for an important event due to the lack of availability – this includes more than one quarter who were trying to attend a medical appointment.
The chronic shortage felt in some regions of the UK comes after thousands of drivers left the profession when job numbers plummeted during the pandemic.