Mayor says TfL are aware of legal gap when it comes to London taxis booked via apps
- Perry Richardson
- 35 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Transport for London (TfL) has acknowledged a lack of legal clarity over when a London taxi is deemed to be formally hired when a journey is booked through an app, highlighting a regulatory gap that remains unresolved more than a decade after app-based booking became widespread.
The issue was raised by Liberal Democrat London Assembly Member Hina Bokhari OBE during Mayor’s Questions on 9 October, who asked whether a taxi is legally hired at the point an app booking is accepted or only once the passenger is physically picked up, and when TfL would issue guidance on the matter.
In a written response dated 17 November, the Mayor’s office reiterated that taxi apps are not captured by the legislation governing the licensing and regulation of London taxis. TfL said the only regulated elements of an app-booked taxi journey are the licensed driver, the licensed vehicle and the fares set out in the London Cab Order.
This position reflects longstanding legislative constraints that differentiate taxis from private hire vehicles, despite both increasingly using digital booking platforms. Unlike private hire operators, taxi app companies themselves are not licensed or directly regulated by TfL, limiting the authority’s ability to set rules around booking acceptance, contractual liability or the point at which a hiring legally begins.
The Mayor’s office confirms taxi booking apps sit outside London’s taxi legislation, with guidance still under consideration
TfL pointed to its Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan 2025, which calls on central government to introduce new legislation enabling TfL to regulate taxi app companies. The authority said this would allow clearer oversight of how taxi bookings are handled digitally and provide greater certainty for drivers and passengers.
In the absence of new legislation, TfL said it is actively considering the implications of app bookings for taxis, including whether guidance should be issued to taxi driver licensees. No timeline was provided for when such guidance might be published.
The Mayor of London’s response said: “As stated in Mayor’s Question 2021/4912, taxi apps are not captured by the legislation governing the licensing and regulation of taxis in London. The only elements of a taxi journey booked via a taxi app that are licensed and regulated by Transport for London (TfL) are the taxi driver, taxi vehicle and the fares set out in the London Cab Order.
“As set out in the TPH Action Plan (2025), TfL is calling on Government to introduce legislation that would enable TfL to regulate these taxi app companies.
“TfL is actively considering the issue you have raised, and its implications for booked taxis. This may include, if necessary, issuing guidance to taxi driver licensees.”
