Government pressed on employment rights for licensed taxi and private hire drivers

Ministers have been asked to clarify how employment rights apply to licensed taxi and private hire drivers who work via digital ride‑hailing platforms, amid ongoing concerns about pay, conditions and worker status in the sector.

In a written question to the Department for Business and Trade, the Government was asked whether it plans to review the employment protections available to drivers who operate as self‑employed contractors for app‑based operators. The question highlighted the growing reliance on platform‑based dispatch systems and the implications this has for drivers’ rights, including holiday pay, sick pay and minimum wage guarantees.

The Government said it recognises that platform work is expanding across the economy and reiterated that employment status in the UK is determined by existing legal tests rather than by job title or business model. Ministers stated that individuals who meet the criteria for “worker” status are entitled to core protections, regardless of whether they are engaged through a digital platform.

The response confirmed that the Government is not currently planning a specific review of employment rights for licensed taxi and private hire drivers on hailing apps. Instead, it emphasised that enforcement bodies — including HMRC’s National Minimum Wage team — have powers to act where platforms wrongly classify individuals or fail to meet statutory obligations.

Ministers added that ongoing work on the labour market framework aims to ensure clarity for both workers and businesses, but no sector‑specific reforms for taxi or private hire drivers were announced.