.jpg)
TaxiPoint launches October 2026 magazine with new LEVC black cab, HMRC tax guidance and industry exclusives
TaxiPoint has launched the October 2026 edition of its digital magazine, with the future of the purpose-built black cab, major tax changes for self-employed drivers and private hire licensing among the leading subjects covered.
Edition 90 arrives as TaxiPoint passes seven million digital magazine reads. The latest issue combines national, London, regional, business and enforcement reporting alongside interviews and analysis aimed at drivers, operators, licensing authorities and other industry decision makers.
Leading the magazine is confirmation that LEVC plans to bring its next-generation London black cab to the UK market during the second half of 2027. Final assembly of the current TX has concluded as the manufacturer prepares its Ansty operation for the replacement model. Pricing, full technical specifications and an exact launch date remain undisclosed.
TaxiPoint also examines the early reaction from working cabbies, with affordability, real-world range, parts availability and driver involvement among the main issues raised. Drivers responding to TaxiPoint broadly welcomed confirmation of another purpose-built cab, but some called for an electric range exceeding 200 miles if the replacement moves to a fully electric powertrain. LEVC has yet to confirm the new vehicle’s powertrain.
The implications of the production gap are explored further in the London section. The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association and Freenow by Lyft have backed calls for Transport for London to temporarily suspend the capital’s 12-year taxi age limit while the trade waits for new vehicle production to resume. The issue could become increasingly important as older taxis reach their licensing limits before the new LEVC model becomes available.
Tax is another major focus, with HMRC answering TaxiPoint’s questions on Making Tax Digital for Income Tax. The feature explains how app-based fares and commission should be recorded, how qualifying income is calculated and what information HMRC receives through quarterly updates. HMRC says drivers receiving fares through apps should record the gross fare as income and the platform commission separately as a business expense, rather than recording only the net payment received.
The magazine also investigates the changing private hire operator licensing map. Department for Transport figures show around 19,000 PHV operator licences were recorded across England, with several smaller licensing authorities appearing unusually high in the national rankings. Castle Point recorded 554 licences, Wolverhampton 515 and Hertsmere 467, behind London’s 1,843. The analysis considers whether the long-running debate over cross-border driver licensing could increasingly extend to where operators choose to establish their businesses.
Driver health also features prominently. Dr Phill Mars, Medical Director at Driving Health, discusses concerns that some taxi and private hire drivers delay seeking mental-health support because they fear consequences for their licence. He also raises differences between licensing authorities in their application of medical standards and argues for a more consistent national approach.
For operators, TaxiPoint examines how technology requirements are moving well beyond traditional dispatch systems. Ben Cook of Exel Technology Group argues that modern taxi businesses increasingly depend on an interconnected technology estate covering telephony, broadband, payments, apps, tracking, customer communications, reporting and automation. The feature considers where the next major disruption to established taxi and private hire businesses could emerge.
Elsewhere, Edition 90 covers Lyft’s European app expansion, Greater Manchester’s £2 million private hire vehicle support fund, Scotland’s potential taxi licensing reforms, accessibility concerns surrounding falling black cab numbers and the latest licensing and enforcement developments from authorities around the country.
The edition also marks the launch of TaxiPoint Intelligence, a new data resource intended to allow industry decision makers to search, compare and benchmark taxi and private hire statistics. Its first tool provides access to Department for Transport data and league tables, with verified Hackney Carriage tariff information and industry confidence surveys planned as the platform develops.
