High Court allows landmark challenge to TfL private hire licence renewal system following delays leaving drivers out of work

The High Court has granted permission for a judicial review challenging Transport for London’s handling of private hire driver licence renewals, following claims that delays left thousands of drivers legally unable to work.

According to law firm DPG representing the claimant, Mr Justice Sweeting granted permission on two grounds in a judgment handed down on 25 June 2026. He found that the claim in Mugabo v Transport for London raised “an issue of general importance” about the nature and scope of TfL’s responsibilities under the capital’s statutory private hire licensing system.

The case was brought by licensed private hire driver Julius Mugabo after his licence expired while TfL was still considering a renewal application submitted before its expiry. According to details released by his legal representatives, the delay prevented him from working lawfully for approximately five months.

TfL eventually issued Mr Mugabo’s renewed licence in August 2025 after judicial review proceedings and an urgent application for interim relief had been initiated. He continued with the wider challenge despite receiving the licence, seeking a ruling on whether TfL must operate its renewal system in a way that avoids interruptions to drivers’ livelihoods.

The first ground concerns whether Parliament intended TfL to maintain a system capable of deciding renewal applications before existing licences expire when drivers have applied sufficiently early. Unlike some licensing arrangements, the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 does not automatically extend a private hire driver’s licence while a renewal decision remains outstanding.

Mr Justice Sweeting found it arguable that the statutory framework required TfL to determine applications “timeously” to prevent an arbitrary interruption to lawful employment. The substantive hearing will decide whether that obligation exists and, if it does, whether TfL’s system complied with it.

Permission was also granted on a second ground involving legitimate expectation. The claim argues that TfL’s published policies and guidance may create an expectation that renewal applications submitted with enough time and supporting information will be decided before the existing licence expires.

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The High Court will examine whether TfL’s guidance created such an expectation and whether any departure from it was legally justified. A ruling in Mr Mugabo’s favour could require changes to TfL’s renewal procedures and affect how applications are prioritised before expiry dates.

Evidence provided by the Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWGB) suggests that the issue extends beyond one driver. The union said it had been approached by hundreds of private hire drivers reporting expired licences, repeated requests for documents, missing applications, prolonged medical assessments and lengthy periods without work.

According to the information released in support of the challenge, at least 17,000 drivers were unable to work after their licences expired while renewal applications remained outstanding. The figure has not yet been tested at the substantive hearing.

The reported financial effects included drivers exhausting savings, accumulating debt and struggling to meet rent, mortgage and vehicle payments. Some drivers allegedly faced the loss of vehicles needed for their work, while others worked longer hours after relicensing to recover lost income.

Drivers cannot lawfully accept bookings without a valid licence, while operators risk losing available capacity when renewals are not completed before expiry.

The litigation is believed by Mr Mugabo’s representatives to be the first to test these particular issues since the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998 came into force. Its outcome could establish new legal principles governing TfL’s treatment of renewal applicants and the measures required to prevent licensing delays from removing compliant drivers from the workforce.

The claim will now proceed to a substantive High Court hearing.