A whole load of London taxi drivers are stuck in limbo, waiting - what feels like an age - to get their taxi licenses renewed by TfL.
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A whole load of London taxi drivers are stuck in limbo, waiting - what feels like an age - to get their taxi licenses renewed by TfL |
So here's what to do if you're stuck in this nightmare scenario.
Getting Your Taxi License Renewed In London
If you want to drive a taxi in London then you need to have a license from Transport for London (TfL) - it's just that simple.
These licenses are valid for three years, and if you want to keep on driving you'll need to renew them before they kick in and your license is no longer valid.
Normally, TfL sends out your renewal paperwork a good 4 months before the expiration date of your license, and they encourage drivers to get it all sorted and submitted asap along with all the necessary bits & bobs.
However, weve got a growing number of drivers who are finding themselves waiting an age for their renewal to be processed, and some are even stuck waiting for 3 months - which means they're not earning a penny while TfL sorts it all out.
What TfL Has Been Saying About License Renewals
TfL's said a few things about renewals, so here's what theyre on record as saying:
Your renewal paperwork will arrive about 4 months before the expiration of your license - so you know when to expect it.
If you get your renewal paperwork in on time, and with all the right info, you should get your new license in time to avoid any problems
If there are any delays, TfL are supposed to be issuing out temporary licenses that will last for 3 months - so you can still carry on driving while they get on with processing your renewal.
Back in April 2025, TfL announced that theyd be providing this option, acknowledging that they were getting a bit behind and were letting drivers down, so theyd be issuing out temporary licenses to make sure drivers could keep on earning a living.
The Problem: Licenses Taking Far Too Long To Renew.
Despite all of this, there are a lot of drivers who are finding themselves stuck in limbo for far longer than they should be.
Some are being left high and dry with no word at all for months on end. It's a nightmare for taxi drivers because - as you can imagine - they cant work while all this is going on, which makes it really tough to pay the bills.