Taxi protest on 26 May to gridlock central London

Thousands are cabbies are going to protest outside Victoria Station on 26 May from 2pm.

The United Cabbies Group published a report called Future Proof to highlight that TfL is “woefully inadequate” as a regulator.

They are also up in arms about unlicensed “pedicabs” carrying passengers without insurance or regulation and unregulated minicab booking offices “being taken over by organised crime syndicates”.

Last month, the cabbies organised a taxi protest in Oxford Street blocking the street for over two hours.

Len Martin, chairman of the group, told the Standard: “We’re going to keep on ramping it up. We’ve got a bigger one planned already.

“It’s just going to escalate if they don’t act on this. It’s going to grow. I don’t think they realise each time it will gain momentum.”

TfL’s surface transport chief Garrett Emmerson slammed the report.

He said: “TfL responded to the Future Proof report in February and made clear it had carefully considered the report.

“Of the 19 recommendations contained in the report, 13 were planned or already underway. The remaining recommendations are in hand with specific implementation dates provided in our response to the committee, with the exception of one recommendation that is a matter for government.

“The capital’s taxi licensing and regulatory process is the envy of the world. Customer satisfaction rates are high and our robust enforcement work with police colleagues continues to bear down on touting and bogus cabs.

“As a result, the proportion of people being approached by touts at night time in London has reduced from 66% in 2003 down to only 15% today and the number of cab-related sexual offences has reduced by 38% over the same period.”