The London Assembly is set to investigate Transport for London’s (TfL) ongoing struggles with private hire vehicle (PHV) licensing delays.
Recent figures reveal that more than 1,600 drivers are currently relying on short-term licences to continue working legally.
Helen Chapman, TfL’s Director of Licensing and Regulation, addressed the Assembly in a letter dated 21 October. She highlighted the strain on renewal applications during what she described as a “peak period of licence renewals.”
Chapman explained: “The sharp increase in application volumes in 2013 due to the growing popularity of app-based services at the time, as well as growth in new applications following the pandemic as services began to reopen,” has contributed to the current backlog.
PHV Licence Backlog
According to TfL, there are roughly 5,000 PHV renewal applications awaiting processing. Of these, 676 licences have already expired, while 4,311 are still active but approaching their expiry dates.
To prevent drivers from losing work, TfL has issued 1,601 temporary licences for those meeting specific criteria.
“We continue to prioritise renewal applications and use the short-term licence process where drivers meet specific criteria. We are responding to all emails well within the 10-working-day target,” Chapman assured the Assembly.
Staffing And Technology
The letter also outlined steps taken to manage the backlog. TfL has recruited 40 additional full-time licensing staff, who will remain “for as long as necessary.”
Chapman added that the new team members are being trained across multiple licensing processes, creating a flexible workforce capable of managing high demand.
TfL is also leveraging technology to accelerate processing. Chapman noted: “Over recent weeks, we have been using data insights which allow us to quickly identify when missing information becomes available from third parties, for example, DBS checks.
We are then able to add these to applications and process them more quickly.”
The data further reveals that 1,119 PHV renewal applications are incomplete due to missing information, 1,102 drivers have yet to finish their English Language Requirement or SERU test, and 140 applications are awaiting medical review.
Chapman reassured members that TfL “anticipated this in our resourcing volumes and we are managing the demand.”
Renewal Progress Updates
For new applicants, TfL has reported improved turnaround times. All new PHV driver applications submitted in September reached the initial assessment stage by mid-October, allowing eligible applicants to schedule assessments “with good availability.”
The Assembly Transport Committee is expected to discuss the reliance on temporary licences and TfL’s progress in addressing the backlog later this month. TfL has committed to providing further updates to the committee.
