Government urged to give private hire drivers FUEL PRIORITY as Iran conflict threatens future UK supplies
- Perry Richardson
- 27 minutes ago
- 3 min read
The App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU) has called on the Government to guarantee priority fuel access for private hire vehicle drivers if petrol shortages worsen because of global supply disruption linked to the escalating conflict involving Iran.
The union said licensed PHV drivers should be explicitly included in the National Emergency Plan for Fuel, known as NEP-F, with the same access to priority refuelling arrangements already afforded to emergency services and public transport operators. ADCU argues that without that protection, large parts of the private hire sector could face severe operational disruption during any prolonged shortage.
The intervention comes as petrol stations in parts of the UK are already reporting supply issues, according to the union, amid growing geopolitical tension and shipping delays affecting the Red Sea and Gulf region. Those pressures have raised concerns across transport and logistics markets about the resilience of fuel supply chains if the situation deteriorates further.
Earlier this week, Prime Minister Keir Starmer met energy, shipping and financial leaders at Downing Street to discuss energy resilience and supply security. ADCU said no organisations representing PHV drivers or other frontline transport workers were included in those discussions, a gap the union says risks leaving a major part of the passenger transport system outside emergency planning.
ADCU says private hire drivers should be formally recognised in emergency fuel planning to protect essential passenger journeys during any prolonged supply disruption.
For operators and drivers, the union’s warning centres on the role PHV services play in maintaining access to essential journeys, particularly where passengers have limited alternatives. ADCU said disabled and elderly passengers, along with people travelling to medical appointments, workplaces and education settings, could be hit hardest if PHV fleets are unable to refuel reliably.
The union is pressing the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to work with the Department for Transport and representatives of licensed drivers on a practical fuel prioritisation framework. ADCU said any emergency system must be clear, workable and equitable, with agreed communications so drivers understand how priority access would operate during a disruption.
The request also carries wider implications for local transport resilience. Taxi and PHV services often act as a flexible part of the wider passenger transport network, particularly during off-peak periods, in areas with weaker public transport links, and for passengers with additional mobility needs.
ADCU’s intervention adds to wider pressure on ministers to show how emergency fuel planning would work across all parts of the transport economy if international disruption intensifies. At this stage, the union’s focus is on securing formal recognition for PHV drivers before any broader supply shortage develops into a full operational crisis.
Cristina-Georgiana Ioanitescu, General Secretary of the ADCU, said: “Private hire and app-based taxi drivers are a vital part of our integrated transport system. When buses and trains are inaccessible or unavailable, we are the ones transporting carers, key workers, and people with disabilities safely to their destinations. If our drivers can’t fuel up, entire communities will be cut off. The government must recognise PHV drivers as essential transport workers and ensure they have priority access to fuel in any future shortage.
“The Government’s current focus on energy companies and logistics firms is too narrow. Resilience in the fuel supply chain isn’t just about refineries and tankers. It’s about ensuring the people who keep passengers moving can keep working.”
