New Heathrow taxi rank app set to begin testing as airport steps up enforcement
- Perry Richardson
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
A new app designed to manage the flow of licensed taxis at Heathrow Airport is set to be trialled by a group of ten drivers. The technology, tied to Heathrow’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) system, is part of a broader attempt to ease congestion and bring order to the airport’s stretched feeder park system.
The app allows drivers to buy credits, check how busy each terminal is, and see where taxis are needed. It also links directly to ANPR cameras installed at all feeder park entrances, exits and terminal forecourts. These cameras track vehicle movements in and out of the airport estate.
A key feature in development is the app’s ability to recognise drivers returning from local jobs or Fares Fair work. Once a driver passes the Spur Road or enters perimeter roads, the app may eventually allow them to rejoin the feeder system queue. However, that function has not yet been confirmed.
The app trial, which involves live testing by selected drivers, is expected to shape how the system works when rolled out to the wider taxi trade. Feedback from these early users will help refine the features and gauge whether it genuinely improves the working experience at Heathrow.
Suzanne Sullivan, Airport Rep for Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA), said in TAXI Newspaper: “A new system is about to be trialled to manage the flow more effectively. The tech is already partially live. Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras are now installed at all feeder park entrances and exits and on every terminal forecourt.
“The system is tied to a new app – and you’ll need this to use the new setup. It’ll let you buy credits, keep track of how busy each terminal is and show you where taxis are needed. It’s also being designed to detect if you’re returning from a local job or a Fares Fair, and potentially let you back into the queue once you’ve hit the Spur Road or crossed into the perimeter roads (although that part still isn’t confirmed).
“This is all part of an effort to ease congestion, improve flow and take some of the guesswork out of working Heathrow. The trial will begin soon with 10 selected drivers testing the system in real-world conditions. Their feedback will shape how the rollout plays out for the rest of us.
“If it works, it could help bring a bit of order to what’s become a daily mess at peak hours. If it doesn’t, or if it’s pushed through without real input, it could just add more complications to an already overloaded system.”
This digital upgrade comes as the two official feeder parks continue to operate at full capacity, particularly in the mornings. Overflowing parks have forced drivers to wait on nearby roads, leading to disruption and rising tensions with airport management.
Heathrow Airport has responded with stricter enforcement. Drivers found breaching operational rules now risk one-month bans from the feeder system. These rules are enforceable under the Heathrow Airport Bye-laws 2014 and Conditions of Use, which apply to anyone operating on airport property—even without a signed contract. By entering the site, drivers accept the conditions through implied consent.
Only authorised drivers can pick up passengers, and only from designated ranks. Drop-offs remain permitted at terminal forecourts, but pick-ups must be made from Short Stay car parks if pre-booked.
The new app may offer relief for drivers and smoother operations for the airport, but only if it is shaped by practical feedback and not imposed without proper input. The trial phase will be crucial in determining whether this approach can ease long-standing issues or simply add complexity to an already pressured system.
Sullivan added: “The two official taxi feeder parks at Heathrow are regularly maxed out, especially in the mornings.
“With no space left, drivers are forced to line up or wait on the roads feeding into the north side of the airport, causing disruption for other road users. As a response, Heathrow Airport has now threatened to hand out one-month bans from the feeder park system for anyone caught breaching their operating rules.
“An important thing to ask is whether they can actually do this. Yes, and legally they’re on solid ground. Even if you haven’t signed a physical contract, just by entering the feeder park or operating on Heathrow property, you’re automatically bound by the Heathrow Airport Bye laws 2014 and the Conditions of Use. That means you’ve effectively agreed to the rules by using the facilities. It’s called ‘implied consent’ and yes, it holds up.”
