POINT OF HIRE: London Assembly member questions TfL’s understanding of when a taxi hire legally begins
- Perry Richardson
- 45 minutes ago
- 3 min read
A new question submitted to the Mayor of London by London Assembly Member Hina Bokhari has intensified scrutiny over whether Transport for London fully understands the legal point at which a London taxi journey officially begins.
The question, due to be raised as part of Mayor’s Question Time on 21 May, follows previous correspondence in which TfL acknowledged it was still “actively considering” the implications of taxi app bookings and whether guidance may be required for drivers.
In her latest submission, Bokhari references Section 39 of the London Cab Order 1934, which requires a taxi meter to be engaged at the point a taxi is “hired”. She argues it is “staggering” that the capital’s transport regulator appears unable to determine when that legal point actually arises in modern operating conditions involving smartphone apps.
The issue centres on whether a London taxi becomes legally hired when a driver accepts a booking through an app, or only once the passenger physically enters the vehicle. The distinction could have a number of implications for meter usage, fare liability, insurance interpretation, cancellations and passenger disputes.
Fresh pressure placed on Mayor and TfL over legal definition of when a London taxi is officially “hired” in app-booking era
Bokhari asked: “If TfL does not know when a taxi becomes ‘hired,’ how are licensed taxi drivers expected to comply with their legal obligations, and how are passengers to understand when a binding hire, and therefore fare liability, has commenced?”
The matter first surfaced formally in previous Mayor’s Question, where Bokhari asked the Mayor to clarify whether a taxi is legally “hired” upon app acceptance or at passenger pick-up. In response, the Mayor said taxi apps are not captured by existing legislation governing London taxis.
The Mayor’s written answer stated: “The only elements of a taxi journey booked via a taxi app that are licensed and regulated by Transport for London are the taxi driver, taxi vehicle and the fares set out in the London Cab Order.”
TfL also confirmed it was “actively considering the issue” and that this “may include, if necessary, issuing guidance to taxi driver licensees”.
The latest exchange is likely to resonate with some cabbies, where concerns have grown over how digital booking technology fits within legislation drafted decades before app-based dispatch systems existed. Taxi representatives have repeatedly argued that unclear definitions surrounding hiring, plying for hire and app acceptance risk creating regulatory confusion.
For drivers, the point at which a hire legally begins can affect when the taximeter must be activated and when legal obligations toward a passenger commence. For passengers, it may determine when a contractual fare agreement exists and when cancellation charges or liability could apply.
The issue also touches on wider national debates surrounding the distinction between taxis and private hire vehicles, particularly as regulators attempt to modernise frameworks designed before widespread smartphone use. TfL’s own Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan published in 2025 called on Government to introduce legislation enabling the authority to regulate taxi app companies directly.
Legal clarity on the “point of hire” could ultimately require judicial interpretation if regulators and policymakers are unable to establish a definitive position through guidance or legislative reform. Bokhari’s latest question directly raises whether TfL may now be under a duty to seek a court determination to remove uncertainty affecting both drivers and passengers.
The Mayor’s response to the latest question is expected following the 21 May Mayor’s Question Time session at City Hall.
