New driving licence rules come into force suddenly and will affect thousands of motorists

Transport for London has launched temporary licences for private hire vehicle drivers in the capital and surrounding Greater London areas in a bid to tackle delays

Temporary new driving licence rules have been roled out across England with immediate effect. Transport for London (TfL) is dishing out temporary private hire vehicle (PHV) driver licences left and right, thanks to a bit of a snarl-up in their licensing system.

This quick fix comes from TfL teaming up with the GMB Union. Now, cabbies in the Big Smoke and its outskirts can snag a temp licence as soon as they clear a DBS check and tick off a few other boxes.

Simon Rush, the top dog at the GMB Taxi and Private Hire Drivers Branch, cheered the news: “This is very welcome progress, and we hope temporary licences will get drivers back on the road.”

He added, “We are pleased to see TfL reconsider the licensing fee increase, particularly given the financial hardship that drivers have endured due to these delays. Drivers should never be left in limbo due to administrative issues. We will continue to work closely and collaboratively with TfL, with a view to getting the best outcome for our members.”, reports Yorkshire Live.

Meanwhile, Zamir Dreni, head honcho of the App Drivers and Couriers Union (ADCU), said: “We are relieved that, after months of pressure from ADCU, TFL has finally conceded that it needs to issue temporary licences to the thousands of drivers left unable to work, and facing financial hardship and ruin, as a result of the failure of it’s licensing renewals.

“There can be no further delays in the issuing of these emergency licenses. Our members are desperate and it has to happen now. We look forward to negotiating further with TFL to find ways of properly supporting drivers, such as capping the number of licences being issued, and enforcing legal rulings against Uber and Bolt as part of TFL’s regulatory duty.”

If you’ve got your renewal application all sorted and passed all the necessary checks, TFL will hand over a three-month short-term licence. But if there are ongoing medical or other inquiries, this temporary licence won’t apply.

As long as no issues pop up during the three-month period, you could get another licence to keep your operation going. Under current rules, taxi drivers who managed to submit their renewal applications before their existing licences expired are allowed to keep working while their new applications are being processed.

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.