Private hire driver group pushes for statutory cap on PHV drivers as sector tensions rise
- Perry Richardson
- 15 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Drivers Representation & Advocacy (DRA) has accused ministers and licensing regulators of failing private hire workers after the government signalled it will not move to cap driver numbers or introduce enforceable cross-border controls.
The group said a shift in policy focus represented a significant departure from what drivers have repeatedly called for during years of inquiries into conditions in the industry.
The organisation, which represents private hire workers across the UK, is demanding an immediate statutory cap on the number of licensed drivers, administered through driver licences rather than vehicle licences. It also wants enforceable cross-border rules that restrict drivers to operating within the areas in which they are licensed. According to the group, these measures are vital to address what they describe as persistent oversupply and the ability of operators to deploy labour across local authority boundaries with few practical limits.
DRA said evidence submitted to major parliamentary and government processes over the past decade had highlighted chronic underpayment, excessive working hours and long-running regulatory gaps. It cited contributions to Sir Frank Field’s 2016 report on low-paid gig-economy work, subsequent committee inquiries and the Department for Transport’s Task and Finish Group. Despite the volume of evidence, the group argues that the regulatory response has been limited, leaving workers to pursue costly and protracted legal action to secure basic rights.
Drivers Representation & Advocacy (DRA) accuses government and regulators of abandoning a decade of evidence on worker exploitation in favour of policies that avoid tackling driver oversupply.
According to DRA, the current reliance on consultation rounds and inquiries has hindered rather than accelerated reform. They argue that drivers, many of whom come from economically disadvantaged or minority backgrounds, lack the resources to engage with lengthy policy processes in the same way as large operators. This imbalance, they say, allows companies with lobbying capacity to shape outcomes while frontline workers experience worsening conditions.
The group is calling for new national legislation enabling local authorities to set binding limits on driver numbers and fully enforce cross-border restrictions. It also wants regulators, including the Mayor of London, to use existing licensing powers to attach enforceable worker protections such as minimum pay guarantees, paid leave and sick pay to operator licensing. They argue that, without immediate intervention, the pattern of oversupply and regulatory evasion will continue to undermine labour standards across the sector.
Yaseen Aslam, Founder, Drivers Representation & Advocacy (DRA), said: “Drivers have been brutally exploited while politicians and regulators watched and debated. They had the evidence — Frank Field, parliamentary inquiries, DfT Task & Finish Group hearings — yet adopted the wrong fixes. Shifting the narrative to vehicle caps is a betrayal that rewards fleet owners and rental interests. We demand driver‑licence caps and enforceable ABBA controls now, if they genuinely want to end this exploitation.”
Ahmed Hussain, Leeds driver and Chair of LPHDO, said: “Years of falling fares and longer hours show vehicle caps will not help. Only driver caps and strict local controls will protect our pay.”
Tanveer Hussain, Leicester driver and Leicester Group Organiser, said: “Drivers have been asking for limits on numbers, not vehicles. Politicians must stop favouring rental firms and start protecting workers.”
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