Introduce national safety standards for taxi and private hire vehicle drivers to prevent them from interacting with phones/booking systems whilst driving, and from working excessive hours without mandatory rest periods. We believe this could better protect passengers and other road users.

Unlike HGV drivers, taxi and private hire vehicle drivers are not subject to consistent nationwide limits on driving hours or mandatory rest breaks. Research estimates fatigue may contribute to 10–20% of road crashes. In 2022, 22 people were killed and 652 injured in crashes where mobile phone use was recorded as a factor. Taxi drivers regularly rely on phones and booking apps while driving, increasing distraction risks. Stronger national safety regulations are needed to protect road users.