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.”