Freenow welcomes London Assembly’s call for stronger action to protect the taxi trade
- Perry Richardson
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Freenow has welcomed the London Assembly Transport Committee’s call for urgent measures to safeguard the future of London’s taxi trade, describing the intervention as both “welcome and necessary”.
Danny O’Gorman, General Manager at Freenow by Lyft UK, said the Committee’s support for the sector was an important step, but warned that immediate action was now needed.
O’Gorman said: “The London Transport Committee’s clear support for safeguarding the future of the taxi trade is a welcome and necessary intervention. It is vital that Transport for London and the Department for Transport consider these proposals in discussion with industry.”
He added: “We particularly support the Committee’s call for Transport for London to assess the use of the Green Finance Fund to help London’s taxi drivers with vehicle costs – this is something Freenow has called for already this year.
“However, words aren’t enough. The latest TfL figures from September 2025 show the number of taxi drivers and vehicles continues its unsustainable decline. We took the first step with our Knowledge subsidy, which was recently extended to all students currently doing the Knowledge of London, but we now call on the Mayor of London and TfL to take urgent action. Without it, we risk losing a vital, world-renowned service that is safe, reliable, and fully wheelchair-accessible.”
The London Assembly Transport Committee has urged both TfL and the Government to strengthen their Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan, which it described as a missed opportunity. Its report found that a lack of engagement with the trade had left key issues unresolved and warned that both taxi and private hire sectors were at risk without further reform.
Among the key recommendations are proposals for a cap on private hire vehicle numbers, tighter safety rules on operator technology, and renewed financial support for drivers to switch to cleaner vehicles. The Committee also called for an end to cross-border hiring and urged ministers to extend the plug-in taxi grant beyond April 2026, reinstating the previous £7,500 rate per vehicle.
Committee Chair Elly Baker AM said TfL must now “get serious” about supporting the industry and listening to drivers. The group believes the measures are essential to stabilise the trade, improve working conditions, and ensure accessible, low-emission transport remains available to Londoners.
