HUGE REVIEW: Mayor of London asks TfL to review iconic black cab turning circle rule in bid to cut taxi costs
- Perry Richardson
- Jul 20
- 3 min read
London’s iconic black cab turning circle requirement could face its most significant review in decades after Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan confirmed he has instructed Transport for London (TfL) to examine whether the rule remains necessary.
The move follows growing concerns that the requirement, which allows taxis to perform exceptionally tight U-turns, has effectively restricted the market to a single purpose-built vehicle. Currently, the LEVC TX is the only taxi approved to meet London’s conditions of fitness, leaving drivers with limited choice when purchasing a new licensed vehicle.
Questioning the Mayor at City Hall, London Assembly Member Alex Wilson argued that the turning circle requirement, rather than market conditions, was responsible for keeping costs high for drivers entering and remaining in the trade.
Wilson said: “It’s TfL’s requirements on the turning circle that means only one vehicle is approved for use the LEVC TX, that’s a market restriction, not market forces. That’s what’s stopping competition and better value for drivers.”
He also pointed to a written answer from February 2025 in which the Mayor said there were no plans to remove the requirement, contrasting it with comments made at a previous Mayor’s Question Time session where Khan suggested the rule should be reconsidered.
Responding, Khan acknowledged that his position had evolved as London’s transport landscape continues to change.
“I think what we’ve seen is with the big increase in private vehicles with Uber, the emerging possibility of automated vehicles, but also the fact that cost hasn’t gone down,” the Mayor said.
He added that manufacturers had indicated they could bring lower-cost taxis to market if the turning circle requirement was relaxed.
“Another manufacturer wants to build these taxis, but also interest from other manufacturers who could provide a black taxi much cheaper if there wasn’t this requirement. I think TfL should be looking at everything in the toolkit to make sure this is a viable profession going forward.”
Khan stressed that he remained committed to preserving London’s licensed taxi trade, describing it as an essential part of the capital’s transport network, particularly for disabled passengers.
“You speak to any taxi driver that’s done the Knowledge in terms of the service they provide, but also a user, particularly those in a wheelchair, we know how important the black taxi is,” he said.
The Mayor confirmed he has formally asked TfL to “think outside the box” when considering ways to reduce costs facing drivers.
“What I do not want is black taxi drivers going the way of other London icons like the telephone box and so forth. I don’t want them to be extinct. I want them to be viable going forward as well.”
Perhaps most notably, Khan admitted he currently sees no compelling reason why the turning circle rule must remain unchanged.
“I will report back to the Assembly as soon as TfL come back to me because I can’t as a layperson think of a good reason why now we need to continue with that.”
Wilson welcomed what he described as a significant shift in the Mayor’s position, asking whether TfL’s Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan, published only last year, would now need updating to reflect the proposed review.
Khan indicated that he expected TfL to move quickly, saying there should be “no reason for any delay”. He also warned that prospective taxi drivers could otherwise find themselves taking out substantial loans to buy vehicles before any changes to the regulations take effect.
“I’m worried about new drivers doing the Knowledge who may take on a big loan to get one of these vehicles that cost quite a lot of money, when around the corner could be some good news about the possibility of other vehicles that are cheaper being available,” he said.
“So the sooner the TfL report to me, I’ll make sure, assuming it’s good news, we can make it public.”
Any change to the turning circle requirement would represent one of the biggest changes to London’s taxi vehicle specifications in many years. Supporters argue that opening the market to additional manufacturers could reduce vehicle purchase costs and encourage more people into the trade, while opponents have long maintained that the tight turning circle is one of the defining characteristics that allows London’s black cabs to operate effectively on the capital’s narrow streets and at major transport hubs.
