London’s Lifeline for wheelchair users at Risk as Number of Black Cabs Continues to Decline

London’s Lifeline for wheelchair users at Risk as Number of Black Cabs Continues to Decline

• The founding editor of the Disability Power100, Dom Hyams, is calling on London Assembly members to raise the decline of accessible black cabs in the capital with the Mayor and Transport Commissioner as a matter of urgency

• All London’s black cabs are wheelchair-accessible, compared to just 0.4% of licensed private hire vehicles

• Calls for the protection of London’s black cabs come as the number of vehicles continues to fall -  a 37% decrease between 2011/2012 and 2024

• London Assembly members will be questioning the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Transport for London Commissioner Andy Lord on the Mayor’s transport priorities on September 5th

3rd September 2024 – London’s black cabs have long been essential to those with disabilities due to their accessibility features in place since January 2000. With the rapid decline in the number of black cabs on London’s roads, wheelchair-users and people with other mobility difficulties find it increasingly difficult to move freely around the city. This not only impacts individual Londoners but also means fewer visitors, less business, and a slower recovery for a city already impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. 

Dom Hyams, Founding Editor of the Disability Power100 and a disability consultant, comments: “Accessible transport in London is not just a convenience; it is critical to inclusion and independence. London’s black cabs are specially designed to be accessible and take wheelchair users, so the fewer there are on the road, the less we are free to move around the city. As a society, we must address this decline in accessible transport and start a real conversation with disabled people to create solutions that work for everyone”

The call for the protection of black cabs in London, which are all wheelchair-accessible, comes as the number of licensed taxis continues to fall. Since 2011/2012, the number of licensed taxis in London has declined by 37%. Meanwhile, the number of private hire vehicles, of which only 0.4% are wheelchair-accessible, has risen by 57% in the last decade. 

In addition, while in 2013 there were 2.7 black cabs per 1,000 Londoners, the equivalent figure for 2024 is 1.7 meaning that those with mobility issues are far less well-served by taxis in the capital than they were a decade ago. Part of the reason for this reduction in supply is the high cost of a London taxi - a price which cabbies increasingly find to be unaffordable.

Those with mobility difficulties depend on taxis. In 2022, the average number of taxi trips taken by those with mobility difficulties – 17 trips per person per year – was significantly higher than those with no mobility issues – eight trips per person per year. Disabled people have a generally positive experience of taxis compared with other modes of transport, giving them an average rating of 1.88 out of 3. By comparison, buses and light rail scored 1.68 and 1.51 out of 3, respectively. 

The reason disabled people travelling in London rely so heavily on black cabs is that they are often locked out of using other transport modes. For example, only 33% of London Underground stations have step-free access and of these, around half do not have level boarding, meaning a manual boarding ramp is required for wheelchair users. 

Sam Pooke, Senior Policy Manager at FREENOW UK, adds: “The decline in the number of black cab drivers is a serious issue, having a significant impact on the inclusion and accessibility of London. We are calling on all London Assembly members to raise this with the Mayor and Commissioner at the upcoming London Assembly transport-focused plenary session, and would strongly urge Transport for London to address the drop in London taxi supply as part of their new Taxi and private hire vehicle Action Plan.”  

The London Assembly are due to meet on Thursday 5^th September at 10am in City Hall to hold a question-and-answer session with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in his capacity as Chair of Transport for London (TfL), and Andy Lord, the Commissioner of TfL, on its work and policies. 

ENDS

About Dom Hyams

Dom is the founding editor of the Disability Power100 - Power List of Disability, which inspires the younger generations of people with disabilities by showcasing a list of powerful leaders in diverse industries. He is passionate about educating people, companies, and decision-makers on issues related to disability, accessibility, and representation. 

Dom was born with a severe form of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (more commonly known as Brittle Bones). He had more than 25 broken bones during birth, is of short stature and uses a powered wheelchair for his mobility. 

Dom is the Head of Strategy at Purple Goat, the world's first and only disability-led and disability focused agency looking to create inclusive, representative and forward-thinking marketing campaigns. 

About FREENOW

FREENOW is Europe’s multi-mobility app with taxi offering at its core, available in 9 European markets and over 150 cities. FREENOW users can access various mobility services within a single app, including taxis, PHV, carsharing, car rental, eScooters, eBikes, eMopeds and public transport. FREENOW partners with numerous mobility brands and aggregates their offering with the ambition to make urban mobility more efficient and sustainable without adding new vehicles on the street. The Germany-based company is backed by the BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz Mobility. FREENOW is led by CEO Thomas Zimmermann.

Visit our Website for further information and download the FREENOW app for iOS or Android.