Work on new Taxi and PHV Action Plan is ‘already underway’, says Mayor of London

Work on new Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan is ‘already underway’ says Mayor of London responding to need for more private hire toilet and kitchen facilities.

London Assembly Member, Elly Baker, recently questioned the Mayor of London on the availability of rest areas for PHV drivers. It was revealed that while Transport for London (TfL) licence around 1,700 PHV operators, there's no requirement for them to provide toilet and kitchen facilities for drivers.

There are currently over 100,000 licensed private hire vehicle drivers in the capital and concerns remain about designated rest areas for those drivers working for operators such as Uber, Bolt and Addison Lee.

Recognising the ‘important role’ PHV drivers play in London's economy, Mayor Khan expressed support for the development of driver hubs. He's tasked TfL with refreshing the outdated Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan, which will involve discussions with stakeholders to explore options for creating safe spaces with essential facilities for PHV drivers.

Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, said: “There are around 1,700 private hire vehicle (PHV) operators licensed and regulated by Transport for London (TfL). While some of these operators may provide access to toilet and kitchen facilities, there is no regulatory requirement for them to do so. TfL does not therefore hold data on how many operators provide these facilities for drivers.

“As the licensing authority for taxi and PHV services in London, TfL’s primary and overriding objective is to protect the public, and to ensure that taxi and PHV services are safe, accessible and affordable.

“Taxi and PHV drivers are able to access toilets at a number of publicly accessible locations. TfL publishes information here: https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/public-toilets-in-london and also provides this information regularly to taxi and private hire licensees via social media, a weekly email sent to licensees and via its On Route magazine, published quarterly for taxi and PHV drivers.

“PHV drivers have an important role to play in our economy and I want to support and encourage PHV operators in their development of hubs for professional drivers where they can rest and have access to essential facilities. I have asked TfL to review and refresh the existing Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan as the plan is now over eight years old. This work is already underway and initial listening sessions with taxi and PHV stakeholders have been undertaken.

“This work will include looking at the facilities that are currently available to drivers and exploring opportunities, with PHV operators, to create safe spaces for drivers with access to the facilities and support they need.“