TAXI TROUBLE: LTDA raises concern over rising cabbie-on-cabbie complaints sent to TfL
- Perry Richardson
- Jul 21
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 29
The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) has voiced concerns over an increase in driver-on-driver complaints being sent to Transport for London (TfL), many of which relate to minor disputes.
Paul Kirby, Executive Senior Officer at the LTDA, highlighted the trend in a recent edition of TAXI Newspaper, saying the Association is seeing a growing number of complaints and more serious Fitness to be Licensed cases stemming from one driver reporting another.
Kirby pointed out that the reasons behind the reports range widely. While some involve serious matters such as verbal abuse or physical altercations, others relate to minor disagreements over rank positions. He criticised the act of reporting fellow drivers for petty incidents, calling it uncalled for and unhelpful to the wider trade.
Kirby added that TfL responds to every report it receives, regardless of severity. These can lead to licensing actions including formal warnings, which remain on a driver’s record and may be referred to in future reviews.
He linked the rise in complaints to a decline in traditional taxi trade etiquette, suggesting that such matters were handled differently in the past. A further issue raised was the sharing of videos on social media where drivers ‘name and shame’ others over minor rows.
Kirby warned that TfL actively monitors these online posts. Even when no formal complaint is made, TfL can still act if a driver’s badge number or vehicle registration is visible. In one case, a driver who posted a video believing he was the victim ended up being sanctioned due to how he behaved in the footage.
The LTDA is urging drivers to consider the consequences before escalating disputes, particularly when they involve social media.
Kirby said in TAXI Newspaper: “The LTDA is seeing number of driver complaints, as well as the more serious Fitness to be Licensed letters, which relate to one driver making allegations against another.
“These complaints are being made to Transport for London (TfL) for a whole manner of reasons, ranging from a simple rank position disagreement, you know the ‘I was before you’ and ‘didn’t you see me waiting over there?’ minor bust-ups, up to very serious allegations of verbal abuse and even physical assaults. Aside from the serious stuff, which can be understood, I find reporting a fellow driver for something so minor as a rank position to be very sad and totally uncalled for.
“The issue here is that TfL respond to every single one of these that are sent in, regardless of how petty they may appear and can often lead to licensing action such as a warning on future conduct – or even worse. Regardless of the type of allegation, everything stays on our records and can be brought up against us at a later stage.
“I believe these complaints between drivers are a fairly new thing and down to a lack of trade etiquette. It would not have happened back in the day. There are also a lot of ‘naming and shaming’ videos showing minor disagreements being posted to various social media platforms.
“The issue here is that TfL picks up on these – and yes, they have people looking out for them – and even though a proper complaint has not been sent to them, they can take licensing action as badge numbers and taxi registrations are clearly visible. I have, in recent months, dealt with too many of these, including one driver who posted a video believing he was the innocent party only to be treated as the offender by TfL due to his behaviour during the filming of said incident.”
