The Mayor of London and Transport for London acted unlawfully in a road scheme which restricted licensed taxis, the High Court has ruled.

The "Streetspace" scheme introduced bus-only corridors, which banned turns and stopped access to taxi drivers across central London in May.

Mrs Justice Beverley Lang ruled Sadiq Khan and TfL "took advantage of the pandemic" to push "radical changes".

TfL said it was "disappointed" and it would appeal the ruling.

The scheme was introduced to lower car traffic in response to the coronavirus pandemic, TfL said.

Taxi unions and associations raised concerns over the "Streetspace" plans after they said they would lose their bulk of trade with restricted access to Low Traffic Neighbourhoods from 6 May 2020.

'Unfair and irrational'

The case was brought by United Trade Action Group (UTAG) and the Licensed Taxi Drivers Association (LTDA).
Mrs Lang told the court the mayor and TfL failed to distinguish taxis from "general traffic" and failed to recognise them as a mode of public transport.
She said: "It was both unfair and irrational to introduce such extreme measures, if it was not necessary to do so, when they impacted so adversely on certain sections of the public."

Mrs Lang said TfL and the mayor's decision making was seriously flawed, the response was ill-considered and they were taking advantage of the pandemic.

Crucially, she said the "Streetspace" plan would now have to be reconsidered and seriously amended.