The number of new taxi driver licenses granted in London has fallen in recent years according to data obtained from Transport For London (TfL).
In 2020, 179 new taxi driver licenses were granted, however, that figure fell to 107 in 2025 and remains at just 38 so far this year as shown by data obtained from a Freedom of Information request.
General Secretary of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association Steve McNamara said: “Obviously during the pandemic, a lot of cabs were repossessed because some guys sold their cabs and some guys just didn’t pay for their cabs and left them on drives as they couldn’t pay to finance their vehicle.
“If you look at the licensing figures, it won’t reflect that. And the reason for that is a cab license lasts for three years so the fact that I’m no longer driving a cab won’t reflect for 18 months or two years.”
Just 0.45% of taxi drivers were under the age of 31 according toTfL licensing data in 2025 and just 26.04% of total drivers were under the age of 50.
In comparison, 65.9% of private hire drivers were under the age of 50 according to data published in the same TfL Taxi and private hire action plan 2025.
However, there are signs that the London black cab may be making a return and once again becoming a viable competitor to private hire firms such as Uber.
Apps such as FREE NOW and Gett are making black cabs more accessible and challenging Uber’s dominance in booking rides via a smartphone.
McNamara said: “Post pandemic, we’re busier than we’ve been and we’ve seen a great return of commercial work but the problem we’ve got is to get a taxi license, you have to do the knowledge of London, you have to learn your way around.”
The Knowledge is a rigorous examination all prospective London black cab drivers must pass in order to prove they have a complete understanding of the capital’s streets.
After the pandemic it was taking three to four years to prepare for the exam, however that has now fallen to around two years according to McNamara.
Still, as a result of pandemic back logs there has been a slower stream of new taxi drivers in the capital.
Bahrain Mujagata is a black cab driver who recently passed the knowledge aged just 21 years old.
Mujagata said: “The knowledge is like an addictive drug when you touch it, you just want to know everything because there’s so much pressure when you go to do the exam and you don’t know what you’re going to get asked, so you just want to do as much work as possible to be ready for the exam.”
Mujagata started preparing for The Knowledge in August 2023, but he started testing in the TfL offices in August 2024, just under two years ago.
He said: “The whole process of meeting the knowledge took me about two years and six months.”
TfL’s taxi and private hire action plan 2025 set out to increase the number of taxi licences, create an environmentally-friendly fleet and improve passenger and driver safety.
In the plan commissioner of TfL Andy Lord said: “We want to do all we can to ensure being a London taxi or private hire driver is an attractive career; that all passengers experience high standards of service; that we’re supporting the taxi trade and the private hire industry to continue to reduce their environmental impact.”
Feature image courtesy of Bruno Martins via Unsplash, with thanks
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