Cabbie’s Mate

@Taxi__Now So where are TaxiApp, TaxiNow, and Unify? They all had drivers. What they didn’t have was sustained investment in demand. Drivers alone don’t build a platform; passengers do. Without funding, apps go nowhere.

Every platform started with drivers — not £20m upfront. What built them wasn’t capital first — it was adoption from within the trade. The difference is what happens after that. Once external funding, incentives, or commercial pressure come in, the structure determines whether it stays aligned with the trade — or moves away from it. That’s the part that hasn’t been addressed properly before. This isn’t about ignoring cost — it’s about building something that can operate sustainably without needing to be sold or reshaped later to satisfy outside interests. The model matters as much as the money.

the last decade, the London taxi trade has seen multiple platforms launched, backed, and grown — many positioned as “driver-owned” or “for the trade”. Yet, time and time again, the same outcome has followed. Not because there wasn’t demand. Not because the trade didn’t support them. The reason is simple: the structure behind them never truly protected the driver stake in the long term. When that happens, control shifts. Decisions change. And the benefit moves away from the very people who built it. That’s the pattern. And that’s the part that has to be addressed properly. Taxi Now is being built with that in mind from the outset — not as a slogan, but as a structure. The foundations being put in place include: • A defined driver stake with voting rights • High-threshold approval (95%) for fundamental changes • Protections written directly into the Articles of Association And critically — A structure being developed to hold the driver stake in a way that prevents it from being diluted, redirected, or sold away from the trade over time. Without that level of protection, we’ve already seen how this ends. This isn’t about short-term launches or quick growth. It’s about building a platform that can operate as a real business while remaining aligned with the trade long term — not exposed to the same outcomes seen before. London taxis have already set the standard: The Knowledge. The service. The reputation. The focus now is ensuring the platform that supports it is structured to protect it. Not a campaign. Not a promise. A structure — built to stay with the trade.

@DebessCab @Dinky63387209 @RichardRf020370 @biLLey1998 @TfLTPH That was done. It was called ‘Zingo’. Didn’t work.

@Dinky63387209 @CabbiesMate @RichardRf020370 @biLLey1998 @TfLTPH Unless the app just acts as a directory for available drivers and the communication is solely between the driver and passenger. Totally doable.

ALL APPS want to build something up off our backs and then sell out. All the huge hippocampuses in this trade and we are yet to organise a driver-owned app.

It’s not the same as a payment system. TfL can say “all cabs must accept credit cards,” and if a driver says “no, can’t be asked,” they’re simply not compliant with a basic service standard. But forcing drivers to join a taxi dispatch app would be a completely different step and licensed taxi drivers wouldn’t be happy being compelled into a specific platform just to operate.

@RichardRf020370 @CabbiesMate @DebessCab @biLLey1998 Richard ditto with a payment system " all cabs must accept credit cards." have you got a system? " No, can't be asked."

@Dinky63387209 @RichardRf020370 @DebessCab @biLLey1998 @TfLTPH All licensed London taxi drivers operate as self-employed individuals running their own small businesses; none are employed by TfL, and TfL’s role is to regulate the sector rather than to operate a taxi service. Drivers would not be willing to become employees of TfL.

@RichardRf020370 @CabbiesMate @DebessCab @biLLey1998 @TfLTPH People will say ‘But TFL you’re joking’ 1 Better the devil you know 2 They care not about the Taxi trade as we’re a non money making encumbrance perhaps they would if they had a commercial vested interest 3 as always were part of the solution NOT the problem

@MCalvey415 @taximanant @JamesDorrian2 @GaryLDN Yeah, Mike Galvin was the worst thing that happened to ComCab.

@taximanant @JamesDorrian2 @GaryLDN Maybe Dr Mike Galvin could work it out, probably got the best understanding of PH than any other GB holder

Is this going to be a wake up call for the trade? Probably not, so carry on working your private hire apps if you're completely selfish and don't give a shit about the future of the London taxi trade. Rest assured, Lyft having all this power in our trade will accelerate a one tier system. Did you do the KoL to be a minicab driver? It seems like many of you did. Uber and Lyft now have a foothold in our great profession, if you don't ditch them now, you're complicit in enabling a one tier system and with it, the demise of the trade. You'll all be driving vans, you won't ply for hire anymore, you'll be a slave to a system that takes the majority of the fare and leaves you with just enough to get by as long as you do your 16 hours like a good little cabbie. Grow some fucking balls and ditch these c****

The taxi trade has previously operated radio circuits owned and controlled by drivers, yet these models ultimately proved unsustainable. Times have changed. Advances in technology and evolving customer expectations mean that app based systems are now firmly established and here to stay. In many cases, privately owned apps are better positioned to succeed than cooperative models. Drivers are independent business owners and will naturally choose to work with whichever platform best supports their income and working conditions. I do not see an inherent issue with privately owned apps. They invest capital and, understandably, seek to generate profit. As long as the model is commercially viable for both drivers and operators, it can function effectively. That said, this does not extend to large international corporations that use the taxi trade as a means to capture market share, only to later shift customers towards cheaper private hire vehicles. In my view, customers who regularly use taxis do so for clear reasons: purpose built vehicles, professionally trained drivers, and operational advantages such as access to bus lanes. If we continue to deliver a high standard of service, there should be no significant concern about losing our customer base.

@GaryLDN Was similar to when ppl used to say “just leave the LTDA, that’s how you’ll hurt em” it’s all a fantasy, nobody will delete these Apps. The problem isn’t the Apps,it’s how they evade the law collectively-until the Trade works this out, this will continue regardless of who it is

@Taxi__Now If the founder can block a sale, then shareholders don’t have real control. Even if 95% vote to sell, it means nothing without founder approval, so calling it “driver-owned” or “shareholder-controlled” is misleading.

We didn’t do the Knowledge to work for an app. We did it to be our own boss. Now look at what’s happening. Lyft acquires FreeNow And is now moving to acquire the UK business of Gett This is how control is taken: 👉 Own the platform 👉 Own the customer 👉 Control the work @Taxi__Now has been built differently — structurally. Not just words. Not just branding. Actual protections put in place: ✔ 0% commission — written into the Articles ✔ Drivers keep 100% of fares, tips & cancellations ✔ No surge pricing model ✔ Revenue via fixed booking fees, advertising & services ✔ Driver participation through a structured trust ✔ Sale restrictions requiring Founder approval + 95% shareholder agreement This isn’t about hype. It’s about making sure the trade can’t be easily sold out or flipped by outside interests. London taxis already built the standard. The Knowledge. The service. The reputation. Taxi Now is about protecting it properly this time. Because if we don’t back something we own… We’ll always end up working for something we don’t. taxi-point.co.uk/post/global-gi…

@Taxi__Now @biLLey1998 @DebessCab The trade did have a coherent structure in its early days, with organisations such as ComCab, Radio Taxis, and Dial-a-Cab. Although drivers owned the radio circuits, this alone was not sufficient to ensure their long-term viability.

@DebessCab @biLLey1998 This is exactly why it’s being talked about again now. The trade has backed platforms before — but without the right structure in place, it never stays with the trade long term. That’s the part that’s now being focused on.

@DebessCab @biLLey1998 ComCab, Radio Taxis, and Dial a Cab. Been there, done that. So where are they now?

@CabbiesMate @biLLey1998 They were privately owned sell-outs. What I mean is a collectively driver owned app, owned by a trust. The trust would explicitly have the interests of drivers as its core principle. Bookings and cancellations can all be sorted between each individual driver and the passenger.

@guyfromhills @SarcasticCdow 😂😂😂

drinking 2-4L of water daily helps you avoid other people's drama because you're too busy peeing stay hydrated.

We have released a map update for the Cabbie’s Mate apps to fix the following issues: 1- Speed cameras not displaying on the Super Scale map. 2- A–Z maps not displaying in the correct order when switching between maps To update, open the app, tap the info icon, then tap Updates and download all available maps.

@WC1Robert @LTDAForum Wishing a happy retirement.

Our lovely bolt hole in Thanet eagerly awaits. There's a lot I won't miss, I won't bore you, all cabbies know the many things I refer to. Never thought I'd tottaly retire. Good luck to the trade in general. BE LUCKY

I've made the decision to retire, I might do a few hours here and there untill July, think at some point I'll miss most of the good people customers and cabbies I've had the pleasure to meet. My emphysema is now stage 4 and effecting my life. I'm leaving the city I love.

@lee_cricklewood Thanks for spotting. We’ll look into it after the Easter holiday.

@CabbiesMate They are on the main map, but not on the detailed central London map

Cabbie’s Mate Apps April 2026 Maps, Speed cam and POI updates are now ready to download. All app customers will receive this update.   To update, open the Cabbie’s Mate app, tap on info > updates, and download. We have added 678 new Points to the Cabbie’s Mate A-Z POI database.   To confirm that you have successfully updated your Cabbie’s Mate, please search the A–Z POI database for: House of Gods London Hotel, Canary Wharf 12 Bank Street, E14 4DD   Happy Easter. Special thanks to Knowledge Point and drivers who contributed by reporting road and speed camera changes.

@northolt3103 This update includes many speed cam changes, in addition to the radar speed cams.

@northolt3103 We identified 6 out of 10 radar speed cameras and implemented them. As we identify the rest, we’ll update the speed cam file again immediately.

@CabbiesMate Didn’t know there was one by Marylebone station 🫣🤣

@northolt3103 Which roads did you mean? 2 minor one-way changes are not included in this update since it was too late.

@CabbiesMate Has it got the new 2 way ones?