UK Taxi & PHV Statistics: A Deep Dive into 2023

For anyone navigating the intricate world of public transport in the UK, understanding the regulatory landscape and statistical trends of taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs) is crucial. A common question that arises is whether Transport for London (TfL) publishes its own specific taxi and PHV statistics. The answer is a resounding yes; TfL regularly releases its own detailed figures for the capital, complementing the broader national picture provided by the Department for Transport's annual statistical release. This comprehensive national report, as of 1 April 2023, offers a fascinating snapshot of the sector across England, with additional data for Wales, encompassing everything from vehicle numbers and driver demographics to accessibility features and evolving fuel types. While it captures the widespread use of app-based technology, it's important to note that the data cannot disaggregate which drivers are specifically utilising these apps.

This annual statistical release provides a vital overview, with the 2023 data reflecting the position as at 1 April, a slight shift from previous years' 31 March snapshot. This adjustment ensures that policy changes introduced at the start of a new financial year are immediately captured, offering the most up-to-date picture possible. The figures are meticulously updated each year through surveys conducted with every licensing authority across England and Wales, supplemented by other robust data sources. While the focus is largely on England, specific associated tables offer insights into Wales's transport landscape.

Understanding Taxis and Private Hire Vehicles

Before delving into the numbers, it's essential to clarify the distinctions between the two primary types of licensed vehicles: taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs).

• Taxis (Hackney Carriages): These iconic vehicles are available for immediate hire. They can be hailed directly from the street ('ply for hire') or picked up from designated taxi ranks. Taxis are typically subject to stricter regulations and often have a distinctive appearance, such as the famous London black cab. They require two types of licences: a vehicle licence (issued to the owner) and a driving licence.
• Private Hire Vehicles (Minicabs): In contrast, PHVs, commonly known as minicabs, must always be pre-booked through a licensed operator. It is strictly illegal for PHVs to 'ply for hire' or be hailed from the street. PHVs operate under a three-tiered licensing system: a vehicle licence, a driving licence, and crucially, an operator licence.

Understanding these fundamental differences is key to interpreting the statistics, as licensing regimes and operational freedoms vary significantly between the two.

Headline Figures and Long-Term Trends

The period between 2022 and 2023 saw a notable increase in both the total number of licensed vehicles and drivers across England. This growth indicates a significant recovery for the sector following the unprecedented challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. However, despite this positive momentum, the numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels, highlighting the ongoing journey towards full recovery.

Looking at the broader trend since 2005, the total number of licensed vehicles in England experienced a steady rise from 184,500 in 2005 to a peak of 298,600 in 2020. The pandemic then triggered a sharp decline to 251,100 in 2021, before rebounding to 289,400 in 2023. Similarly, driver licences saw an increase from 242,100 in 2005 to 364,700 in 2020, followed by a dip to 330,000 in 2022, before reaching 346,300 in 2023 – a 4.9% increase on the previous year. The slightly different trends observed for vehicle and driver licences, particularly during the pandemic, are likely attributable to the generally shorter licence lengths for vehicles compared to drivers.

A historical perspective on taxi numbers reveals distinct patterns. Between 1972 and 2015, licensed taxi numbers in London and in England and Wales outside of London both generally increased. However, since 2015, numbers have fallen, with a particularly sharp drop post-2020 due to the pandemic. Despite this, the 2023 taxi numbers are substantially higher than in 1972: outside London, licensed taxis almost quadrupled (from 12,400 to 46,400), while in London, numbers increased by 45% (from 10,100 to 15,100). The Transport Act 1985 played a role in the increase of taxis outside London, as more district councils began licensing them.

2023 Licensing Statistics Summary

The following table provides a detailed summary of the 2023 taxi and PHV licensing statistics, offering a clear comparison between London, England outside of London, and the total for England. All figures are as at 1 April 2023, with percentage changes from 31 March 2022.

Licensed Vehicles: A Closer Look

In 2023, England recorded a total of 289,400 licensed taxis and PHVs. Taxis accounted for approximately a fifth of this total, with 57,200 vehicles. The overall increase of 11.0% in licensed vehicles between 2022 and 2023 was largely propelled by a significant 14.6% rise in PHV numbers, while the number of taxis experienced a slight decrease of 1.3% over the same period.

Delving into the regional nuances, licensed taxis in London saw a 3.4% increase, contrasting with a 2.9% fall in taxis in England outside of London. For PHVs, the growth was substantial across the board, with England outside of London witnessing a 16.8% increase and London an 11.3% rise.

It's worth noting that licensing authorities outside London have the power to impose limits on the number of taxis operating within their areas. However, they cannot impose such restrictions on PHVs. In 2023, 72 licensing authorities (25% of those licensing taxis) applied limits on taxi numbers, with a further 8 setting partial limits, figures that have remained broadly consistent in recent years.

Regionally, the growth in licensed vehicles varied considerably. The West Midlands, for instance, experienced a remarkable 31.8% increase between 2022 and 2023, primarily due to a surge in Wolverhampton. The North West, by comparison, saw a more modest 4.2% increase.

On average, England had 5.1 licensed taxi and PHV vehicles per 1,000 people in 2023, up from 4.6 in 2022. This density generally decreases in more rural areas, with London having 11.9 vehicles per 1,000 people, compared to just 2.2 in largely rural areas. Wolverhampton stood out with the highest concentration at 85.3 vehicles per 1,000 population, a figure that can be influenced by local licensing policies and the practice of PHVs being licensed in one area but operating primarily elsewhere.

Licensed Drivers: Who's Behind the Wheel?

England counted 346,300 driver licences in 2023, an increase of 16,300 (4.9%) from 2022. The majority, 67%, were PHV-only licences, while 11% were taxi-only, and a significant 21% held dual licences, allowing them to drive both taxis and PHVs.

The regional picture for driver licence changes mirrored that of vehicles. The West Midlands again showed a substantial increase of 28.0%, largely driven by Wolverhampton. Most other regions experienced smaller increases or decreases of less than 5%.

Licensed PHV Operators: The Booking Hubs

PHV operators are essential for accepting bookings and dispatching vehicles. The number of licensed PHV operators in England increased by 5.1% to 15,000 in 2023, although this figure remains below 2019 and 2020 levels. London saw a decline of 7.7% in operators to 1,600, while England outside of London experienced a 6.8% increase to 13,400 operators.

In the year ending 31 March 2023, 2,800 applications were made by new PHV operators, marking a 46% increase from the previous year. This surge suggests a strong recovery in the sector post-pandemic.

Accessibility: Ensuring Inclusive Transport

Accessibility is a crucial aspect of public transport. In 2023, 13% of all licensed vehicles in England were wheelchair accessible. This breaks down to 55% of all taxis and a much lower 2% of PHVs, proportions similar to those in 2022.

London stands out with all its 15,100 taxis being wheelchair accessible, a requirement of Transport for London’s ‘Conditions for Fitness’ policy. Outside London, 39% of taxis were wheelchair accessible, with major cities like Birmingham and Manchester also boasting 100% accessible taxi fleets. For PHVs, less than 1% in London were wheelchair accessible, compared to 3% in the rest of England. Generally, metropolitan areas had higher proportions of accessible taxis but lower proportions of accessible PHVs.

Accessibility Policies and Prosecutions

Policies supporting accessibility are gaining traction. The number of authorities requiring disability awareness training for taxi drivers rose from 43% in 2019 to 62% in 2023, and for PHV drivers, from 41% to 60% over the same period. Regarding wheelchair policies, 67% of authorities now require all or part of their taxi fleet to be wheelchair accessible (up from 64% in 2019), though only 5% have such requirements for PHVs. Most authorities (94% for taxis, 91% for PHVs) maintain lists of wheelchair accessible vehicles, as mandated by Section 167 of the Equality Act 2010.

Prosecutions under the Equality Act 2010 for offences by taxi and PHV drivers and operators have seen a significant decrease. In the year ending 31 December 2022, there were only 4 prosecutions, a sharp fall from 18 in 2021 and 47 in 2019. The majority (60%) of these prosecutions over the last decade were for failing to accept bookings to carry assistance dogs. The conviction rate has consistently been around 80%.

Safeguarding Policies: Prioritising Safety

Ensuring passenger safety is paramount in the taxi and PHV industry. Licensing authorities across England have implemented various safeguarding measures:

• Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) / Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Awareness Training: As of 1 April 2023, the vast majority of authorities (95% for both taxi and PHV drivers) required this training, a significant increase from 70% in 2018. 64% also required additional county lines training.
• Security Checks: All authorities mandated an enhanced DBS check (Disclosure and Barring Service) and barred list checks for both taxi and PHV drivers, a proportion that has grown from 80% in 2017.
• CCTV: While still relatively low, 6% of authorities required CCTV to be fitted in all licensed taxis and PHVs, a slight increase from the previous year. Of these, most also required the CCTV to have audio recording capabilities. Almost all authorities that don't mandate CCTV still permit it.
• National Register of Refusals, Revocations and Suspensions (NR3S): This operational database, maintained by the National Anti-Fraud Network (NAFN), allows licensing authorities to check if a driver applying for a licence has had previous issues and to log such instances. In the year ending 31 March 2023, there were 152,200 searches of the NR3S database by English authorities, equating to approximately 0.4 searches per licensed driver. Crucially, the use of this database became mandatory in England from April 2023 onwards.

Taxi and PHV Drivers: A Workforce Profile

Data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides insights into the characteristics of individuals who self-report as "Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs." The estimated number of drivers operating in England was 143,000 in 2023, a 13% increase from 2022, but still significantly lower than pre-pandemic levels (e.g., 214,000 in 2019). The pandemic's impact on demand is a key factor in the sharp fall since 2020, though recent increases suggest a sector on the rebound.

Demographics of Drivers

• Gender: The vast majority (93%) of drivers in 2023 were male, a proportion that has remained consistently above 90% for the last decade.
• Age: The average age of a driver in 2023 was 51 years, consistent with previous years. Approximately 21% of drivers were under 40, with another 21% aged 60 or over. Over the past decade, there's been a shift towards a slightly smaller proportion of younger drivers and a larger proportion of those over 40.
• Ethnicity: In 2023, the two main ethnic groups were Asian or Asian British (50%) and White (35%). This represents a notable shift from 2010, when these figures were 29% and 63% respectively.
• Employment Status: The proportion of self-employed drivers has increased to 84% in 2023, up from 76% in 2010. The proportion of part-time drivers appears to have slightly decreased in recent years, standing at 16%.

Taxi and PHV Passengers: Travel Habits and Preferences

The National Travel Survey (NTS) offers valuable data on taxi and PHV passenger behaviour, though it doesn't distinguish between service types or app usage. The survey's methodology was impacted by the pandemic, so caution is needed when interpreting 2020 and 2021 results.

From 2002 to 2019, there was a slight long-term downward trend in the average number of taxi or PHV trips per person per year, from around 12 to 11 trips. In 2021, this figure was 7 trips, and the average distance travelled was 34 miles. While an increase from 2020, these figures represent a sharp fall from 2019 (11 trips, 59 miles), largely due to pandemic restrictions. The average trip duration in 2021 was 20 minutes, similar to pre-pandemic levels.

Reasons for Travel and Usage Frequency

In 2021, leisure purposes accounted for 40% of taxi or PHV trips, a sharp fall from 51% in 2020. Other common reasons included commuting (16%), shopping (17%), personal business (10%), and education (11%).

Most people (70%) rarely used a taxi or PHV in 2021 (at most twice a year), an increase from 66% in 2020. Around 13% travelled at least once a month but less than weekly, and 6% travelled at least weekly. Both figures have fallen since 2019, indicating a shift in usage frequency.

Who Uses Taxis and PHVs?

• Mobility Difficulties: As in previous years, those with mobility difficulties took more taxi or PHV trips (10 trips per person per year in 2021) compared to those without (6 trips). For those with mobility difficulties, taxi/PHV usage accounted for 2% of all trips, double the proportion for those without difficulties.
• Age and Sex: In 2021, there was little overall difference in trips between men (7 trips) and women (6 trips). However, women aged 17-30 took more trips than men in the same age group.
• Car Access: Households without car access made significantly more taxi or PHV trips (23 trips per person) than those with car access (3 trips), and travelled roughly three times as far. This pattern has remained stable since 2002.
• Household Income: The average number of trips varied across income quintiles, but without a clear trend as income increased.

The majority of taxi and PHV journeys (87%) in 2021 were for less than 10 miles, with 62% falling between 2 and 10 miles. These trips were generally less likely to be under 1 mile compared to other modes of transport.

Passenger Satisfaction: Gauging Public Opinion

The National Highways and Transport Public Satisfaction Survey provides insights into public satisfaction outside London. In 2022, overall public satisfaction with taxis and PHVs averaged 60%, a slight decrease from 64% in 2021 and 66% in 2020. Interestingly, satisfaction was similar for regular users (at least once a month) and non-users in 2022, a departure from previous years when users reported higher satisfaction. Satisfaction among users specifically fell sharply from 69% in 2021 to 62% in 2022.

For those who use taxis or PHVs at least once a month, 66% of individuals with a disability reported satisfaction, compared to 61% of those without a disability. While disabled users consistently showed higher satisfaction, levels have fallen sharply for both groups since 2021.

Fuel Type and Age of Taxis and PHVs: The Road Ahead

These statistics are considered experimental statistics, meaning they are new and still undergoing development. They are compiled by matching the Taxi and PHV centralised database with the DVLA vehicle database. While providing a good indication, there are known limitations, such as potential underestimation due to varying update frequencies from licensing authorities and the exclusion of vehicles that changed licence types. Therefore, figures are presented as proportions rather than absolute numbers and are currently only robust at national and regional levels.

Fuel Type Composition

As of 31 March 2023, the taxi fleet predominantly used petrol and diesel (77%). However, there's a clear shift: the proportion of hybrid vehicles doubled from 10% in 2020 to 22% in 2023, and battery electric vehicles quadrupled from 0.2% to 0.8% over the same period.

For the PHV fleet, petrol and diesel vehicles constituted 53%. Hybrids increased slightly from 34% to 40%, but battery electric vehicles saw an eight-fold increase from 0.8% in 2020 to 6.4% in 2023, demonstrating a rapid adoption of cleaner technologies. Compared to the overall car fleet, taxis have about four times the proportion of hybrids, while PHVs have around eight times the proportion of hybrids and three times the proportion of electric vehicles.

Vehicle Age Profile

The PHV fleet (77% under 10 years old) is generally younger than the taxi fleet (69% under 10 years old). For taxis, 49% were between 5 and 10 years old, and 30% were 10 years and over. The proportion of vehicles under 5 years old has decreased for both taxis and PHVs between 2020 and 2023, with a corresponding increase in vehicles aged between 5 and 10 years.

The average age of a taxi in England as at 31 March 2023 was 7.4 years, while for PHVs it was 5.7 years. Both are younger than the average age of cars in England (9.3 years), consistent with the higher mileage and stricter safety and emissions requirements for licensed vehicles.

Regional Breakdown of Fuel Type and Age

Regional differences in fuel types are pronounced. In London, only 55% of taxis were petrol or diesel, largely due to the high proportion of range-extended electric taxis (43%) – a result of TfL’s zero-emission capable requirement for new taxis since January 2018. Outside London, 86% of taxis were petrol or diesel. Battery electric taxis were roughly double in London (1.2%) compared to outside London (0.6%). Similar trends are seen in PHVs, with London having a lower proportion of petrol/diesel (34%) and a higher proportion of hybrid electric (52%) and battery electric (14%) PHVs compared to the rest of England.

Regarding age, the London taxi fleet has become younger between 2020 and 2023, with the proportion aged 10 years and over decreasing from 33% to 24%. Conversely, outside London, the taxi fleet has aged, with the proportion aged 10 years and over increasing from 29% to 33%. The average age of a taxi varied from 6.1 years in London to 9.4 years in the North West and West Midlands, while PHVs ranged from 4.6 years in London to 7.4 years in the North West.

When combining fuel type and age, it's clear that petrol and diesel vehicles tend to be older on average than other fuel types, reflecting the newer technologies of hybrids and electric vehicles. For example, the average age of battery electric taxis was 2.2 years, and PHVs 1.6 years, in stark contrast to petrol and diesel taxis at 8.4 years and PHVs at 6.7 years.

Most Common Vehicle Models

As of 31 March 2023, the most common taxi models were the London Taxis International TX4 (17%), London Electric Vehicle Company TX (13%), Mercedes Vito (10%), and Skoda Octavia (5%). For PHVs, the Toyota Prius (21%) remained dominant, followed by the Toyota Auris (7%), Mercedes E class (6%), and Skoda Octavia (5%). The models remained consistent from the previous year, though the London Electric Vehicle Company TX saw a 3 percentage point increase.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Does Transport for London (TfL) publish its own taxi and PHV statistics?
A: Yes, Transport for London (TfL) regularly publishes specific taxi and Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) statistics for London, which complement the broader national statistical releases for England and Wales.

Q2: How has the number of licensed taxis and PHVs changed since the pandemic?
A: The total number of licensed vehicles and drivers in England increased between 2022 and 2023, indicating a recovery. However, both figures remain below their pre-pandemic levels seen in 2019 and 2020.

Q3: Are all taxis in London wheelchair accessible?
A: Yes, all 15,100 licensed taxis in London are required to be wheelchair accessible, a condition mandated by Transport for London's licensing policy. Outside of London, the proportion of accessible taxis is lower, at 39%.

Q4: What is the National Register of Refusals, Revocations and Suspensions (NR3S)?
A: The NR3S is an operational database maintained by the National Anti-Fraud Network (NAFN). It allows licensing authorities to check if a driver has had their licence refused, revoked, or suspended by another authority, and to record such instances. Its use became mandatory for licensing authorities in England from April 2023.

Q5: What are the main differences between taxis and Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs)?
A: Taxis, or hackney carriages, can be hailed directly from the street or from a taxi rank and are available for immediate hire. PHVs, or minicabs, must always be pre-booked through a licensed operator and cannot be hailed from the street or use taxi ranks. PHVs also require an additional operator licence compared to taxis.

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