RURAL TAXI DRIVERS AND DIGITAL EXCLUSION: How bookings, payments and connectivity impacts some cabbies
- Perry Richardson
- 35 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Digital booking, cashless payments and driver dispatch now rely on strong mobile and broadband networks. That is not always the reality away from towns and cities. Ofcom’s latest research estimates 2.8 million people in the UK have no internet access, with a further group online but lacking confidence. Those gaps are felt most in places where public transport alternatives are limited and taxis and private hire fill essential journeys.
Older residents are more likely to be offline or to use the internet infrequently. Age UK reports that 29% of people aged 75 and over do not use the internet, and around one in five people aged 65 and over are not online. For rural operators serving dispersed communities and care settings, that matters when services move to app-only booking or digital-only information.
Vehicle availability is thinner in rural areas. Department for Transport figures show 5.5 licensed taxis and PHVs per 1,000 people across England overall, but just 2.5 per 1,000 in areas classed as largely rural. London sits at 12.1 per 1,000. When supply is lower, any extra friction in booking or paying can mean longer waits and fewer completed journeys.
Connectivity remains uneven by geography. Ofcom’s Connected Nations 2024 indicates 4G geographic coverage from at least one operator has reached 95% of UK landmass. Coverage from individual operators stands at 88% to 89% of landmass, which still leaves notable not-spots, especially for drivers whose devices are tied to a single network. 4G remains the workhorse technology for mobile users.
Premises coverage is strong, but not guaranteed in every building. Ofcom records outdoor 4G coverage at 97% to 98% of rural premises per operator, with indoor coverage at 94% to 96% depending on building materials and location. Those margins can be the difference between a card terminal working first time or a failed transaction in a farmhouse lane or village centre with thick walls.
Payment is a practical pressure point for some cabbies working away from built up areas. Card machines typically need a live data connection. Transport for London documentation and correspondence acknowledges signal issues affecting in-cab card readers and records continuing work with approved providers. That is London-specific policy territory, but the technical constraint is the same in rural England where a driver’s card reader relies on the same nationwide networks. The retirement of 3G and shift to 4G and 5G further concentrates reliability on the strength of current coverage.
Dispatch is just as dependent on signal as payments. Operators push jobs to drivers via apps, with status updates and GPS location sent back to the system. Ofcom notes that 4G still carries the bulk of mobile data traffic and that 5G deployment remains much lighter in rural areas, with 16% of rural sites hosting 5G compared to 42% in urban locations. Missed pings and frozen maps translate into missed bookings and lost income on quiet ranks.
Rural bus pilots have leaned on app booking too. The Department for Transport’s Rural Mobility Fund evaluation highlights how demand responsive transport schemes have been trialled to plug gaps in low-density areas. These services can support access, but the evaluation underlines the need for inclusive booking routes alongside apps so that digitally excluded passengers are not shut out.
Network improvements are coming, but timelines matter for small operators. The Shared Rural Network target for 4G coverage from at least one operator has been met nationally, yet drivers still work in single-operator shadow zones. Ofcom also expects satellite-to-mobile services to begin enabling direct calls on standard smartphones by the end of 2025, which could reduce the worst not-spots for voice and basic data. Trials and approvals are in progress.
Local innovation is helping map the gaps. In Scotland, several councils have supported a project fitting bin lorries with multi-network devices to measure signal on regular routes. The data will guide investment decisions in places where coverage is weakest. Similar partnerships could help licensing authorities, operators and payment providers target problem corridors used by taxis and PHVs.
Digital skills also shape outcomes. The UK Consumer Digital Index reports that 93% of adults now have the Essential Digital Skills for Life, but around 7.3 million people in the labour force still lack the Essential Digital Skills for Work. For drivers moving onto digital dispatch, and for office teams shifting licence and booking processes online, that capability gap affects training, onboarding and customer service.
The policy question for councils and operators is straightforward. How do you keep services accessible for passengers who do not use smartphones or online payments, while running efficient digital systems for those who do. DfT statistics confirm that rural areas have fewer licensed vehicles per head, so the cost of a failed booking or payment is higher when the next car is miles away. Maintaining staffed phone lines at peak times, publishing clear local numbers, and ensuring card terminals have workable fallbacks are practical steps already used by many. Technology will keep improving, but booking and payment channels need to match local reality.
