Private Hire Vehicle Drivers

Elly Baker AM moved and Léonie Cooper AM seconded the following motion:

“The private hire vehicle sector is essential for providing a transport service for journeys that can’t be made easily by other means. The Assembly would like to thank the many thousands of Private Hire Vehicle drivers who help people get around our city.

The sector has changed beyond recognition since the publication of Transport for London’s (TfL) Taxi and Private Hire Action Plan in 2016. A revised version must take into account these changes and what a more effective regulation looks like with large platform operators.

The Assembly notes the recent employment tribunal ruling in favour of classing 15,000 Bolt drivers as workers rather than self-employed contractors. This case highlights the challenges around employment status and the need for greater regulation in this area. 

London has fallen behind other world cities, such as New York and Chicago, by not making sharing of journey data a mandatory licensing requirement. This restricts the ability of TfL to effectively plan our transport network.

The London Assembly calls on the Mayor to:

• Instruct TfL to use current powers to ensure operators abide by emerging employment law and consult on the best ways to ensure a level playing field in London as a condition of licensing private hire operators. 
• Write to private hire operators requesting that they share passenger journey data with TfL to better support TfL’s role as London’s strategic transport authority.
• Write to the Government to ask them to update Taxi & Private Hire legislation, including new requirements on Operators to provide journey data to TfL."

Following debate and upon being put to the vote, the motion was agreed unanimously.