Petition to:
UK Government • Welsh Government • Department for Transport • Local Authorities • Taxi Unions

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Thousands of self-employed taxi drivers across the UK are being pushed to the brink by ride-hailing platforms like Uber, Bolt, and others that operate with minimal oversight, unfair pricing, and exploitative commissions.

These companies are flooding the market, exploiting legal loopholes, undercutting local fare structures, and pocketing commissions as high as 20–45% of every fare — while drivers shoulder the full cost of vehicles, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and licensing.

This is not fair competition — it’s a coordinated dismantling of the regulated taxi trade, threatening livelihoods, safety, and local economies.

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🚖 A Vital Industry That Deserves Support

According to official government data, there are now over 381,000 licensed taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers in England, and more than 313,000 licensed taxis and PHVs on the road.

In addition, Uber’s own figures show that over 100,000 drivers now work through its platform across the UK, with around 45,000 in London alone.

Together, this represents one of the largest and most essential transport sectors in the country — providing millions of journeys each week and supporting hundreds of thousands of families.

Yet despite its size and importance, the industry operates with minimal protection and inconsistent regulation.

This is a vital workforce that deserves proper oversight, fair pay, and genuine support from both the UK and devolved governments.

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🚨 What’s Happening to Drivers

💷 1. Unregulated Commission Deductions

Platforms like Uber take 20–45% of every fare. After expenses, many drivers earn below minimum wage, with no ability to maintain vehicles or save for lean periods.

🧾 2. Unfair Pricing and Local Tariff Undercutting

Local councils set tariffs to protect drivers and passengers. Ride apps ignore these legal rates, undercutting prices to gain market share and forcing local drivers into unsustainable competition.

Across the UK, local councils typically set taxi fares at around £4–£6 for the first mile and £2–£3 for each additional mile, ensuring drivers can cover basic running costs and earn a fair wage. In contrast, Uber’s average rate is only about £1.25 per mile, far below locally regulated tariffs. This artificial undercutting devalues professional taxi services, pushes self-employed drivers below the minimum wage, and creates an uneven playing field where responsible, licensed operators are penalised for following the rules.

For example, a 10 mile journey would typically cost around £27 under council-regulated rates (excluding waiting time). On the same route, Uber might pay a driver around £12.50 after commission. From the moment the driver accepts the booking to drop-off — often over an hour with waiting and travel time — this equates to well below minimum wage, even before accounting for fuel, insurance, and vehicle costs.

🌍 3. Cross-Border Licensing Loopholes & Unlicensed Operations

Drivers licensed in areas like Wolverhampton are working in Birmingham, Leicester, and beyond, while Newport drivers operate in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan — all bypassing the local controls these councils are meant to enforce.

Under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1976, an operator should be licensed in the same district where bookings are accepted, with the operator, vehicle, and driver all licensed by the same authority. This system was designed to ensure local accountability, enforceable tariffs, and proper regulation.

However, Uber and other national platforms exploit loopholes by centralising bookings through remote servers, allowing out-of-area vehicles to operate without truly holding a local operator licence. This undermines local tariff structures, weakens enforcement, and creates a two-tier system that disadvantages locally regulated taxi firms.

🚘 4. No Cap on Driver Numbers = Market Flooding

Unlimited driver onboarding floods towns and cities, collapsing earnings, increasing congestion, and leaving long-standing local drivers with fewer rides and lower incomes.

🏢 5. Dwindling Number of Local Taxi Firms

Across the UK, local taxi and private hire firms are closing or struggling to survive under pressure from app-based platforms. In London alone, the number of licensed private hire operators has fallen from over 3,100 in 2012 to around 1,600 by 2023 — a drop of nearly half. Traditional black cab numbers have also declined from over 22,000 to around 15,000 in the same period. Regional firms, such as Thames Valley Taxis in Abingdon, have reported business losses of around 50% since Uber’s arrival, with many warning they may not survive. Each closure means fewer local jobs, less community accountability, and more dominance by large multinational platforms that prioritise profit over fair competition and local service.

⚖️  6. Legal Loopholes & Misuse of Worker Status

In 2021, the UK Supreme Court ruled that Uber drivers are legally “workers,” not self-employed contractors — meaning they should receive minimum wage, holiday pay, and basic employment protections.

However, Uber and other ride-hailing companies continue to exploit loopholes to limit these rights. They only count the time drivers have a passenger onboard toward minimum wage — ignoring unpaid waiting and travel time — and still class drivers as self-employed for tax and expenses. This means drivers pay all costs (fuel, insurance, maintenance, and vehicle finance) themselves, while companies cut fares and increase commissions to protect their profits.

A study by the Centre for Employment Research found that UK Uber drivers earn as little as £5 an hour after expenses, well below the legal minimum. Despite this, Uber claims compliance by “topping up” pay on paper — a system that sidesteps the spirit of the law and leaves drivers trapped in financial insecurity.

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🌍 How Other Countries Regulate Uber — and Why the UK Must Catch Up

Across the world, governments have already recognised the risks of unregulated ride-hailing — and acted to protect drivers, passengers, and local taxi industries.

Germany & France
Uber must follow strict fare and licensing rules. Fares cannot undercut local taxi tariffs by more than around 7–10%, and vehicles must return to base between trips to prevent uncontrolled flooding of streets with out-of-area drivers.

India
National Aggregator Guidelines cap commissions and require fares to follow state-set minimums. In places like Karnataka, platform fees are legally limited to 10%, ensuring most income goes to drivers rather than corporate deductions.

British Columbia, Canada
Ride-hailing operators must charge at least the same minimum fare as taxis, preventing predatory pricing and protecting passenger safety.

United Arab Emirates
Uber operates under close government regulation, with fares set 25–30% higher than local taxis to avoid destabilising the traditional taxi sector. This keeps the market balanced and prevents price dumping.

Ireland
Uber must follow National Transport Authority (NTA) taxi rules. Only licensed taxis are allowed to operate, and drivers must use their own metered fares, not app-generated prices. When Uber attempted to shift away from regulated meters, Irish Uber drivers staged a nationwide strike, defending tariff compliance as essential for fair earnings.

These examples prove one simple fact: Fair regulation and technological innovation can coexist — and drivers don’t have to be sacrificed for the sake of convenience.

So why is the UK still allowing app-based pricing to undercut council tariffs, destabilise local businesses, and push drivers below minimum wage?

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👥 This Affects All Drivers — And the Public

Local taxi drivers — who invest in their communities, pay for council licences, DBS checks, and regular inspections — are being squeezed out.

Meanwhile, platform drivers are lured by the promise of “flexibility,” only to face predatory commissions, algorithmic control, and no real rights.

This isn’t innovation. It’s exploitation.

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📣 We Demand Action

We urge the UK Government, Welsh Government, local councils, and licensing bodies to implement the following key reforms:

1. End Cross-Border Licensing Loopholes
Require all drivers and vehicles to comply with local licensing and tariff rules in every area they operate.

2. Enforce Local Tariffs for App Operators
Mandate that ride-hailing apps follow council-set fare structures, just like traditional taxis.

3. Cap Commission Deductions
Introduce a fixed, legal limit on app commissions to stop excessive deductions from driver fares.

4. Control Driver Numbers
Work with councils to stop oversaturation and protect fair earnings.

5. Guarantee Worker Protections
Enforce worker rights fully — pay for all working time, provide holiday pay, and allow fair appeal against deactivation.

6. Regulate Algorithms & App Controls
Platforms must disclose how pricing and job allocation affect earnings — with oversight from regulators.

7. Empower Local Authority Oversight
Give councils clear powers to inspect and regulate all vehicles operating within their jurisdiction.

8. Appoint an Independent Adjudicator

The UK Government should establish an independent adjudicator to regularly monitor Uber and similar platforms — ensuring compliance with pricing, safety, licensing, and employment standards — and enforce penalties for breaches.

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✊ This Campaign Supports:

• Self-employed taxi drivers fighting for fair pay and protection
• Platform-based drivers exploited by opaque corporate systems
• Local taxi firms seeking balanced regulation and fair tariffs
• Passengers who deserve safe, fair, and transparent transport
• Councils and unions striving for consistent, enforceable standards

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🖊️ Sign & Share This Petition

We’re not against progress — we’re against exploitation.

🖊️ Sign now to protect drivers, passengers, and our local transport network.
📣 Share widely to demand urgent government action.
🚦 Stand up for fair, safe, and sustainable taxi services across the UK.

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