Black cabs stand ready to compete with Uber, but not in a race to the bottom
The London tax trade is a rigged market where app-based operators have enjoyed years of political indulgence while black cabs are subjected to an ever-tougher regulatory environment, says Mark White
James Ford’s recent City AM column – ‘The London taxi trade is dying – and it’s not Uber’s fault’ – is less a diagnosis than a eulogy dressed in Silicon Valley spin. It dismisses licensed taxi drivers as inflexible, romantic relics, refusing to adapt. But the reality is more serious – and more structural.
The London taxi trade is not dying of natural causes. It is being killed by deliberate political and regulatory choices – choices that have created a system of regulatory arbitrage, where one set of operators face exacting standards, while others exploit loopholes and scale on the back of avoidance.
This is not a level playing field. It’s a rigged market. The black cab trade has been subjected to ever-tougher environmental, safety and accessibility standards. Our vehicles must be wheelchair accessible, meet the latest emissions standards and our drivers are required to pass the Knowledge – the world’s most demanding navigational test. Every one of these requirements is supported by public interest goals: social inclusion, passenger safety, air quality.
By contrast, app-based operators have enjoyed years of political indulgence. Their business models rely on the negative externalisation of costs – offloading financial, social, and environmental consequences onto drivers, cities and taxpayers. They treat regulation not as a duty but as a barrier to be sidestepped.
And when regulation disappears, so do the safeguards. Cutting corners in the taxi trade isn’t just bad practice — it’s a public safety risk. When margins are squeezed and oversight is weak, drivers cut costs on essentials: worn tyres, missed servicing, even operating without proper insurance. The race to the bottom doesn’t end with cheaper fares — it ends with compromised safety and rising risk on our roads.
A two-tier system
Transport for London, rather than enforcing consistency, has presided over a two-tier system. A licensed taxi faces up to £70,000 in vehicle costs to meet emissions and accessibility rules. Meanwhile, private hire vehicles (PHVs) can operate in London with fewer restrictions, often for a fraction of the cost, and with none of the same obligations to training or service standards.
This is not innovation. It is regulatory evasion, passed off as progress.
James Ford claims consumer preference is killing the trade. But this is a shallow reading of how public transport demand works. You cannot call it “choice” when one side of the market is systematically undercut by another that operates without equivalent constraints. Nor is it “competition” when global tech firms burn billions in predatory pricing wars, subsidising fares below cost until they gain market share.
Exploit loopholes, dump standards, undercut incumbents, and then raise prices once alternatives are gone. This is Silicon Valley’s playbook. London should not be its next casualty
This behaviour isn’t new. It mirrors historical patterns in utilities and transport — exploit loopholes, dump standards, undercut incumbents, and then raise prices once alternatives are gone. This is Silicon Valley’s playbook. London should not be its next casualty.
The black cab is not just a transport option. It’s a vital piece of London’s social and physical infrastructure. We provide safe, accessible transport for disabled Londoners; reliable mobility for women travelling at night and consistent standards for all passengers — not dependent on algorithms, surge pricing, or digital literacy.
There is a broader social cost to dismantling a profession in favour of casualised app labour. Private hire platforms do not offer careers — only gigs. They shift the risk onto individual drivers while reaping the data and profits. They extract wealth from London without investing in its people, places or long-term resilience.
The decline of the taxi trade is not about outdated business models. It’s about policy failure. TfL has allowed itself to be outmanoeuvred by global firms, with local consequences.
A fair market would mean fair regulation — for all. That means the same rules on emissions, insurance, licensing, training, and accessibility for any vehicle offering the same service. That’s not protectionism. It’s basic governance.
The future of London’s transport cannot be dictated by who can spend the most to distort it. If we want a truly inclusive, clean and accountable system, we must rebuild it on principles of equity, safety, and public value.
The black cab trade stands ready to compete — but not in a race to the bottom.
Mark White, London Cab Drivers Club