CABBIE EARNINGS: How much more can a London taxi driver expect to make working unsocial higher tariff hours?

How a London taxi driver structures a week has a direct impact on what they keep. Costs look different for a cabbie renting an LEVC TX compared with a freehold owner-driver who has paid off their vehicle. Shift timing matters because tariffs change through the day and night.

TfL raised the minimum fare to £4.20 from 26 April 2025 and applied a 5.05% uplift to Tariffs 1 to 3. The tariff timetable sets Tariff 1 for weekday daytimes, Tariff 2 for evenings and weekends, and Tariff 3 for nights and public holidays.

The TfL paper lists 2025 rates per hour used here for simple modelling: Tariff 1 £41.62, Tariff 2 £50.35, Tariff 3 £53.33. On a good day these rates are achievable, but not all days are good!

There are extra costs around the meter. All licensed taxis must accept card and contactless payments using an approved, fixed device in the passenger compartment.

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