There have been calls to improve the safety of minicabs in the capital following a 65 per cent increase in the number of drivers.
Since 2014 the number of licensed minicabs has gone up from 52,811 to 87,921.
Now a new report, by the London Assembly transport committee, is calling on Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and Transport for London (TfL) to create a ‘charter’ to monitor minicab standards.
The charter would make sure they are being regulated properly to ensure the safety of both passengers and drivers.
The transport committee says the charter must cover:
Driver working conditions, including efforts to reduce fatigue in drivers – reducing the chances of accidents
Driver earnings – making sure all drivers are earning above the minimum
Driver training – making sure all minicab drivers receive the same training rather than having inconsistent training standards for drivers from different companies.
Caroline Pidgeon, the chairman of the transport committee, said: “The ongoing challenges facing the industry remain largely unresolved and driver despair is setting in.
“TfL must get a grip on the situation and prioritise this sector in a way it has never done before. A new Charter Mark scheme to set higher standards is a logical step to increase passenger confidence.
“Regulation, or a lack of it, is still London’s blind spot.”
The report suggests minicabs could be regulated like those in New York. This is based on a ‘tier’ of regulation that recognises the need for a different approach to monitoring bigger, app-based operators -such as Uber -as opposed to smaller local firms.
Ms Pidgeon added: “New York has introduced a new ‘tier’ of regulation that recognises the need for a different approach to high-volume, app-based operators.
“London needs to learn from other cities grappling with the increase in minicabs.
“There is still a lot of work to be done and it needs to be done urgently, for both passengers and drivers.”
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