What are the root issues that could push taxi and private hire drivers to regularly work tired and excessive hours?
- Perry Richardson
- Jun 30
- 3 min read
Taxi drivers in Shropshire are working dangerously long hours, with reports of “umpteen” drivers “falling asleep” at the wheel raising serious safety fears from one councillor.
Councillor Corrine Chikandamina told Shropshire Council’s Regulatory Committee she had witnessed drivers drifting off while behind the wheel. She questioned whether current policy went far enough to stop drivers from working excessive hours.
Private hire and taxi drivers are typically self-employed. Unlike bus or lorry drivers, there is no legal cap on their working hours. Under current licensing law, local authorities can consider whether a driver is ‘fit and proper’, but they cannot legally limit the number of hours a self-employed driver chooses to work.
Some operators do monitor the hours worked by drivers, but enforcement is weak as private hire drivers can often work for another operator if or when they reach a limit with one. Instead, licensing officers rely on complaints or incidents to investigate potential incidents.
The underlying problem often comes down to low pay or diminished profit. Drivers cover high costs including insurance, vehicle finance, maintenance, and fuel before they make any profit. For taxi drivers, fares set by local councils sometimes fail to keep pace with rising expenses or falling demand, forcing drivers to work longer just to break even.
Private hire drivers rely on operators to pay a viable tariff that pays them enough to rest sufficiently between shifts.
Councillor Chikandamina questioned whether drivers should be allowed to self-regulate their shifts when public safety is at risk. She raised the possibility of tougher oversight on fatigue.
How can authorities stop taxi and private hire drivers working long and excessive hours?
National legislation would be needed to set minimum rates or limit taxi and private hire driver hours. Under current law, drivers are self-employed. Local councils can set fare tariffs for taxis picking up on the street, but they cannot force operators or private hire drivers to charge those rates for pre-booked work.
Equally, councils have no power to cap hours. Self-employed drivers can legally work as many hours as they choose. Unlike bus and lorry operators, taxi and private hire licensing regimes have no statutory maximum working time rules.
Any move to change this would need government legislation. Parliament would have to create a framework giving councils powers to impose maximum shift lengths, mandate rest periods, or set a minimum pay rate per mile or hour.
Another measure often debated is limiting the number of licences issued. At present, many areas have lifted caps, leading to more drivers on the road. This can result in drivers fighting for too few jobs, spending long hours waiting or driving ‘dead miles’ without passengers.
Capping licence numbers would prevent over saturation of the market, increase occupancy, and allow drivers to work more concentrated shifts. This means less time spent sitting idle, and more chance to earn a fair living over shorter hours.
Such an approach would also help improve safety. Better earnings per hour mean drivers can afford to rest between shifts rather than chasing extra fares to cover costs.
But limiting driver numbers is controversial. Some argue it restricts competition and passenger choice. Others say the alternative—an oversupplied market—pushes drivers into long, dangerous hours.
National legislation could provide a framework allowing councils to set limits on licence numbers where needed, alongside minimum rates and enforceable working hour restrictions.
