Asher Moses, Founder and Chief Executive of Sherbet, and IATR President Matt Daus

The chairman of the Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) has warned the London taxi trade is facing a critical period of change as rising costs and the loss of financial support threaten the future size of the capital’s black cab fleet.

Writing in TAXI Newspaper, Paul Brennan said: “We are clearly in a period of transition for the London taxi trade,” adding that drivers now need “practical support to maintain a strong, reliable fleet”.

According to Brennan, around 1,800 licensed taxis are expected to reach the end of their licensing age limit over the next two years, creating uncertainty around how many drivers will remain in the industry and how quickly vehicles can be replaced.

He said some drivers will look to buy newer taxis while others may choose to retrofit existing vehicles to Euro 6 emissions standards using the recently available HJS conversion for TX4 models. However, Brennan warned many drivers may instead decide to leave the trade altogether.

“Rising costs, uncertainty, and the price of replacement vehicles have pushed many to that point,” Brennan wrote. “Every time a driver leaves, our fleet shrinks further.”

The LTDA chairman pointed to the ending of previous grant funding in March as a major concern for drivers weighing up whether to continue operating. Brennan said the industry had “successfully fought hard to retain funding for way beyond its original lifespan”, despite support being reduced over time.

Since the grant ended, Brennan said he has continued lobbying for a replacement scheme that better reflects current financial pressures facing drivers. “The truth is that we need a replacement scheme that helps drivers remain in the trade”

Source: Taxi Point

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Image: Moscow Times

The Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) has imposed a 100 million euros fine on the Netherlands-based company behind the taxi app Yango. That company, MLU, allegedly shared personal data of Yango users in Norway and Finland with Russia without adequate security measures in place, according to the authority. MLU, a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Russian tech firm Yandex, denied the charge.

“In Russia, personal data is not as well protected as in Europe. This means the Russian government could potentially access this data,” said AP chair Aleid Wolfsen. “That is why sensitive data from both customers and drivers should have been better protected, especially given the absence of an independent privacy regulator in Russia. We found that this was not done properly, and that is serious.”

The size of the penalty reflects the annual revenue of MLU parent Yandex, which exceeded 12 billion euros in 2024. MLU still has the option to challenge the decision by filing an objection or appeal.

The Dutch Data Protection Authority has been investigating the case together with Norwegian and Finnish privacy regulators since late 2023. They concluded that Yango stored sensitive information from both passengers and drivers, including driving license scans, home addresses, and precise location data, on servers located in Russia. Under European rules, personal data may only be transferred outside the EU if it receives an equivalent level of protection.

Yango is available in more than 30 countries worldwide. In Europe, according to its website, these include Norway, Finland, Serbia, and Moldova.

MLU has announced it will challenge the fine. “The personal data was stored exclusively within the EU in pseudonymized and encrypted form, making it technically inaccessible to third parties. We applied all appropriate safeguards in line with European privacy legislation,” the parent company said in a written response, adding that Yango has not been active in Norway and Finland since last year. The company also says it fully cooperated with the Dutch Data Protection Authority’s investigation.

Source: NL Times

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Uber Now Has Two Presidents to Lead Platform Expansion

Uber named Jill Hazelbaker, head of marketing, communications and policy, to the newly created role of president and chief corporate affairs officer as it seeks to become the "everything app" for consumers. The leadership change means Uber now has two presidents. Andrew Macdonald was named president and chief operating officer last year.

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People Who Don’t Like People Are Making All of Our Decisions

Waiting in the cold with your hand in the air scanning for available cabs? Drivers refusing to take you somewhere after you’d already gotten in their vehicle? Cabs refusing to stop because of your race? Losing items, never to see them again? All problems that were gladly ushered into the past. The act of schlepping around a city was changed forever.

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Bus Firms Sue NYC Anti-Idling Law That Is Making ‘Bounty Hunters’ Rich

A coalition of private interstate bus companies is filing a federal lawsuit Monday alleging New York City unfairly hit them with a blizzard of tickets under the Big Apple’s “bounty hunter” idling law to curb pollution. The American Bus Association contends that the idling law violates bus operators’ constitutional protections by imposing fines on their buses while exempting government vehicles such as MTA buses from enforcement, thus treating similar modes of transportation “unequally.”

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Taxi Services Probed after Visiting Councillor Waits Hours for Accessible Ride in Mississauga

Complaints from an Ontario municipal politician who waited several hours for an accessible taxi while in Mississauga for a conference last month has prompted an investigation into the matter, city officials say. A City of Mississauga spokesperson told INsauga.com the municipality is investigating “to determine what occurred and whether all applicable bylaw requirements were followed” during Region of Waterloo Coun. Chantal Huinink’s experience in the city on April 13 and again two days later.

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Ontario Trucking Association Joins Municipalities to Press for Highway Upgrades

The Ontario Trucking Association (OTA) and Northern Ontario’s two municipal associations are teaming up to push the pace of government investment in Highways 11 and 17. A joint news release from the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) and the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities’(FONOM) said the OTA has joined their campaign to pressure Ottawa and Queen’s Park to make substantial improvements to this vital stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway.

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Kids on Board? Ontario Wants to Scrap $1K Ticket Risk for Carrying Children on Cargo E-Bikes

The Ontario government is proposing a regulatory revamp to explicitly allow kids to be passengers on cargo e-bikes — something that’s currently common on Toronto streets, but which carries a risk of a fine of up to $1,000. Last week, the Ministry of Transportation released a number of proposed changes to the Highway Traffic Act, seeking comments from the public. While a prior regulatory update implied tacit provincial approval for cargo e-bikes to carry kids, the new change would make it official — and legal.

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Swale Taxi Bosses Call for Changes in Rules Allowing Uber Drivers to Operate Despite Not Having a Licence

Taxi firms say “unfair” rules allowing Uber drivers to pick up jobs in areas where they do not have a licence need to change. People are able to book the American giant’s vehicles in Swale despite the borough council not giving it a licence to do so. Swale council confirmed it had received no application from Uber to run services in Sittingbourne, Faversham or Sheppey. Under the current rules, the drivers can complete “cross-border” jobs which are pre-booked.

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German Green Hydrogen Transport Mandates Set to Become Law

Germany is set to formally adopt green hydrogen mandates in transport after its upper house raised no objections to a bill recently passed through parliament. The Bundesrat waved through the bill that will see green hydrogen mandated to make up 10% of transport energy by 2040. It also includes a penalty of €120 per gigajoule for fuel suppliers that fail to meet the obligation.

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Inside Bubi 3.0: How Budapest Is Rebuilding Its Flagship Bike Share System

Budapest is preparing to relaunch one of Europe’s most established bike share systems after more than a decade of steady expansion. Since its introduction in 2014, the Bubi bike sharing system has evolved from a pilot project into a core part of the Hungarian capital’s transport network. A major overhaul saw a new fleet of 1,200 bicycles launch in 2021 which gradually grew to 2,500, driving usage past 10 million lifetime rides by 2024.

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End of Taxi Cash As Cape Town Commuters Go Digital

The Cape Organisation for the Democratic Taxi Association is bringing in a new cashless payment system at its taxi ranks from 1 June. Passengers will use cards or their cellphones to pay for rides.

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Hong Kong Authorities to Set Cap on Ride-Hailing Vehicles Ahead of Legco Break

Hong Kong authorities plan to finalise the cap on ride-hailing vehicles and the technical framework of a long-awaited regulatory regime for the service before making them law ahead of the legislature’s recess in mid-July. In a document submitted to the Legislative Council on Monday, the Transport and Logistics Bureau also outlined penalties for ride-hailing platform operators that failed to comply with the rules. Offenders could face fines of up to HK$1 million (US$127,720) and 12 months in jail upon conviction. Among the key points of the plan is the limit on the number of ride-hailing vehicles allowed on the road.

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ComfortDelGro: From Singapore Taxis to Global Multimodal Transport

To most Singaporeans, ComfortDelGro remains best known for operating the island’s familiar blue-and-yellow taxis. While the group does operate Singapore’s largest taxi fleet, this simplifies its global portfolio. Today, over 55% of the group’s revenue comes from overseas operations. ComfortDelGro is a diversified multimodal transport operator with a strong global footprint across 13 countries. It runs public bus networks in London, Greater Manchester and major Australian cities, owns the established premium point-to-point brand Addison Lee in the UK, and is actively scaling autonomous vehicle (AV) deployments in China and Singapore. The group also holds significant international rail contracts, including operations in Stockholm and an upcoming role in the Paris Metro Line 15, while actively bidding for the Copenhagen Metro.

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Image: WNYT

New York State’s tentative $268 billion budget agreement is expected to include a modified version of the long-debated “Stop Super Speeders” proposal, signaling a potentially significant new direction in automated traffic enforcement and repeat offender regulation. While Gov. Kathy Hochul did not publicly release detailed legislative language during Thursday’s budget announcement, lawmakers involved in negotiations indicated that the proposal is likely to move forward as part of the final budget package expected to be voted on next week.

Under the framework discussed by legislators, New York City would be authorized to require certain repeat speeding offenders to install “intelligent speed assistance” (ISA) devices designed to prevent vehicles from exceeding posted speed limits, similar in concept to ignition interlock systems used in drunk driving cases. Negotiations have reportedly centered on applying the program to drivers who accumulate 16 or more speed-camera violations within a 12-month period — a narrower version of earlier legislation introduced by Sen. Andrew Gounardes and Assembly Member Emily Gallagher.

Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie reportedly told lawmakers this week that the policy was expected to be included in the final budget framework following negotiations with members of the New York City delegation. However, discussions reportedly continued over implementation details, due process protections, privacy concerns, and the appropriate violation threshold for triggering the device requirement. Supporters argue the proposal targets a relatively small number of chronic reckless drivers responsible for a disproportionate share of dangerous speeding behavior, while critics have raised concerns about administration, enforcement, and equity impacts.

The broader budget agreement also includes several auto insurance reform measures outlined by the Governor, including proposals aimed at combating organized insurance fraud, limiting the use of underwriting factors such as ZIP codes and employment type, capping excess insurance company profits, and modifying aspects of New York’s liability and no-fault insurance framework. Final legislative language for both the insurance and “super speeders” provisions has not yet been publicly released.

Source: Gothamist

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