London’s black cabs have long been essential to those with disabilities due to their accessibility features in place since January 2000. With the rapid decline in the number of black cabs on London’s roads, wheelchair-users and people with other mobility difficulties find it increasingly difficult to move freely around the city. This not only impacts individual Londoners but also means fewer visitors, less business, and a slower recovery for a city already impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.
Dom Hyams, Founding Editor of the Disability Power100 and a disability consultant, comments: “Accessible transport in London is not just a convenience; it is critical to inclusion and independence. London’s black cabs are specially designed to be accessible and take wheelchair users, so the fewer there are on the road, the less we are free to move around the city. As a society, we must address this decline in accessible transport and start a real conversation with disabled people to create solutions that work for everyone”
The call for the protection of black cabs in London, which are all wheelchair-accessible, comes as the number of licensed taxis continues to fall. Since 2011/2012, the number of licensed taxis in London has declined by 37%. Meanwhile, the number of private hire vehicles, of which only 0.4% are wheelchair-accessible, has risen by 57% in the last decade.
In addition, while in 2013 there were 2.7 black cabs per 1,000 Londoners, the equivalent figure for 2024 is 1.7 meaning that those with mobility issues are far less well-served by taxis in the capital than they were a decade ago. Part of the reason for this reduction in supply is the high cost of a London taxi – a price which cabbies increasingly find to be unaffordable.
Those with mobility difficulties depend on taxis. In 2022, the average number of taxi trips taken by those with mobility difficulties – 17 trips per person per year – was significantly higher than those with no mobility issues – eight trips per person per year. Disabled people have a generally positive experience of taxis compared with other modes of transport, giving them an average rating of 1.88 out of 3. By comparison, buses and light rail scored 1.68 and 1.51 out of 3, respectively.
The reason disabled people travelling in London rely so heavily on black cabs is that they are often locked out of using other transport modes. For example, only 33% of London Underground stations have step-free access and of these, around half do not have level boarding, meaning a manual boarding ramp is required for wheelchair users.
Sam Pooke, Senior Policy Manager at FREENOW UK, adds: “The decline in the number of black cab drivers is a serious issue, having a significant impact on the inclusion and accessibility of London. We are calling on all London Assembly members to raise this with the Mayor and Commissioner at the upcoming London Assembly transport-focused plenary session, and would strongly urge Transport for London to address the drop in London taxi supply as part of their new Taxi and private hire vehicle Action Plan.”
The London Assembly are due to meet on Thursday 5th September at 10am in City Hall to hold a question-and-answer session with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, in his capacity as Chair of Transport for London (TfL), and Andy Lord, the Commissioner of TfL, on its work and policies.
