Black cab rental crunch looming? Major London fleet warns drivers taxis may be impossible to guarantee from September

London black cab drivers relying on rental vehicles could face a significant shortage from September, with established fleet operator Colts Cabs warning that it will be unable to guarantee taxis without advance confirmation.

The warning comes from Colts Cabs who are a long-established black cab rental garage within the London taxi rental market with decades of experience within the sector.

In a statement to customers this week via its social channels, Colts Cabs said: “During the months of September to December please do not attend to collect a vehicle/taxi without confirming availability first by calling the office number.”

It added: “We cannot guarantee a hire without pre-book and confirming by calling.”

The message follows an earlier warning from the company in July that rental supply was already becoming stretched. Colts advised drivers going on holiday against automatically surrendering their existing rental taxi, claiming some drivers elsewhere in the rental sector had returned from breaks to discover their previous vehicle was no longer available.

Colts said at the time: “Do not release your cabs back to the garages is definitely recommended. We are being called by untold drivers of other rental companies that the cab they gave back when going away is lost to them on return!”

The company added that it was itself “struggling to accommodate”, despite its fleet size.

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The warnings point towards a potentially difficult autumn for London’s rental drivers. September traditionally marks the end of the quieter summer holiday period and the beginning of stronger business, commuter and hospitality demand, while the final months of the year bring the important Christmas trading period.

Unlike owner-drivers, renters depend on fleet operators maintaining enough licensed vehicles to replace taxis undergoing repairs, servicing or licensing work. At worst a shortage can therefore leave an otherwise licensed driver temporarily unable to work.

Colts has also connected the problem to the restricted choice of new purpose-built taxis available to the London trade. In another recent social media post, the company said: “There is no ability to buy new now!” and criticised opposition to changing London’s turning-circle requirement.

The comments come as the industry’s vehicle specification rules face renewed scrutiny. London’s Conditions of Fitness have historically imposed requirements that limit which vehicles can be licensed as taxis, including the well-known turning-circle standard. For some fleet operators looking for alternatives options capable of replenishing an ageing fleet at an economically viable cost, this has become a hot topic of debate.

The next four months could therefore provide an important test of London’s taxi vehicle supply. If demand for rental taxis exceeds available stock during the traditionally stronger autumn and Christmas period, drivers may increasingly have to retain existing rentals rather than surrendering them during holidays or other periods away from work.

More importantly for the wider trade, a prolonged shortage would turn the issue from a rental-company capacity problem into a potential service-capacity problem. A licensed taxi driver without access to a compliant vehicle cannot work, regardless of passenger demand.