UK Limo and Taxi Industry Statistics (Approximate)

UK Limo and Taxi Industry Global Stats (Approximate)

Please note: Obtaining precise, real-time, region-wise data for all categories below is extremely difficult due to data privacy, proprietary business information, and the dynamic nature of these industries. The figures provided are estimations based on the best available public information and should be considered approximate. Data primarily covers England and Wales, as comprehensive UK-wide figures are less consistently available for all categories.

1. Number of Taxi and Private Hire Companies Registered in UK (Region-wise)

Region/Area	Number of Licensed Operators/Companies (Approx. as of April 2024, England)	Notes
England Total	~16,300 PHV Operators (Licensed)	This figure is for Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) **operators**, not individual companies or taxis. Many PHV operators can have multiple drivers/vehicles. Taxi companies are often licensed locally and not aggregated in the same way. The number of PHV operators has increased.
London	1,700 PHV Operators	A high concentration of PHV and taxi businesses.
England outside London	14,600 PHV Operators	Covers the rest of England.
Specific Cities (Examples)	Data is often held by individual local authorities. For instance, each council has its own list of licensed taxi and PHV operators.	Finding specific "limo companies" is harder as they often fall under PHV licensing.
Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland	Separate licensing bodies; consolidated figures are less readily available than for England.

2. Number of Drivers/Chauffeurs Registered in UK (Region-wise)

Region/Category	Number of Licensed Drivers (Approx. as of April 2024, England)	Notes
England Total (Taxi & PHV Drivers)	~381,100 total licensed drivers	This includes taxi-only, PHV-only, and dual-licensed drivers. This is the highest number ever recorded.
Private Hire Vehicle (PHV) Only Drivers	~262,800	This category has seen a significant increase (+14% year-on-year).
Taxi Only Drivers	~34,100	This category has seen a decrease (-7% year-on-year).
Dual Taxi & PHV Drivers	~78,000
London (Total Drivers)	~123,600	London accounts for a large portion of the UK's licensed drivers.
England outside London (Total Drivers)	~257,500
West Midlands	~67,429 (+26.47% increase)	Heavily skewed by Wolverhampton becoming a licensing hub for drivers operating across England.
North West	~46,893 (+10.5% increase)
South East	~36,329 (+8.5% increase)
Yorkshire and Humber	~31,031 (+9.68% increase)
East of England	~24,610 (+7.4% increase)
East Midlands	~18,479 (+11.92% increase)
South West	~17,841 (+5.89% increase)
North East	~14,844 (+16.79% increase)
Wales	~11,249 (+4.26% increase)
Scotland, Northern Ireland	Separate licensing; figures not easily aggregated with DfT data for England/Wales.

3. Number of Best Ride-Hailing Apps in UK (Region-wise)

App Name	Key Operating Regions/Cities (Primary Focus)	Notes
Uber	Nationwide (all major cities and many towns across UK)	Market leader by a significant margin.
Bolt	London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, etc. (major cities)	Strong competitor to Uber, known for competitive pricing.
Free Now	London, Edinburgh, Manchester, Brighton, etc. (major cities)	Connects passengers with both licensed black cabs and private hire vehicles.
Ola	London, Manchester, Liverpool, Cardiff, Bristol, etc.	Indian-based platform, has established a notable presence.
Gett	Primarily London (focus on Black Cabs), also corporate services nationwide.	Specializes in Black Cabs, popular for business accounts.
Addison Lee	Primarily London	Premium private hire service, fixed fares, corporate focus.
Wheely	London (and other major global cities)	Luxury chauffeured service.
Kabbee	London	Compares prices from various minicab companies in London.
Via	Various cities, often focused on shared rides and public transit partnerships (e.g., in Milton Keynes)	More focused on shared and on-demand public transport solutions.
Taxiapp UK	London (by cabbies, non-profit)	Cabbie-owned app for Black Cabs.
ARRO	Connects to local taxi fleets in several UK cities.	Integrates local taxi companies into one app.
City Taxis	Sheffield, and other areas through partnerships.	Prominent local taxi booking app in specific regions.
Local/Regional Taxi & PHV Apps	Hundreds of local taxi and private hire companies have their own apps.	Many traditional operators have invested in their own app technology.

4. Number of Limo/PHV Companies Using Automated Dispatch Solutions (from Manual to Automated Dispatch)

Category	Estimated Adoption Rate	Notes
Overall UK PHV/Limo Industry Transition	Very high, likely >90% of active, compliant operators.	The UK (especially London) has strict regulations requiring operators to maintain booking records, driver details, and vehicle information. This, coupled with intense competition from ride-hailing apps, has pushed nearly all professional PHV and limo companies towards automated dispatch systems. Manual dispatch is almost non-existent for any significant operation.
Large Fleet Operators	Near 100% adoption of sophisticated, often customized, dispatch software.	Essential for managing thousands of bookings and drivers.
Small to Medium-sized PHV/Limo Operators	High adoption of readily available SaaS solutions.	Affordable cloud-based systems make automation accessible to smaller businesses.
Specific Region-wise Data	Not publicly available. Adoption is generally high across all urban areas due to market demands.

5. Number of Bookings/Transactions Made Each Day in UK (Region-wise)

Service Type	Daily Bookings/Transactions (Approx.)	Notes
Uber Trips (UK)	Millions daily (exact figures proprietary, but UK is a major market)	Uber had 3.5 million users in the UK in 2018 (likely higher now). Given their global trip numbers (billions annually), the UK contributes a significant portion of millions of daily trips across all ride-hailing apps.
London (Taxi & PHV Combined)	~300,000 journeys made each day (as of 2018, likely higher with PHV growth)	This figure covers both taxis and private hire vehicles in the capital. It's a significant volume for a single city.
Limo/Chauffeur Bookings (Premium)	Highly variable; no consolidated public data.	This market segment serves a smaller, often corporate or luxury clientele. Daily volumes would be in the thousands or tens of thousands across the UK for all such services combined, but precise figures are proprietary.
Region-wise Breakdown	Not publicly available. London consistently has the highest volume of trips, followed by other major cities like Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow, and Edinburgh.

6. Number of Limo/PHV Dispatch Provider Vendors in UK (Region-wise)

Vendor Category	Examples / Notes	Key Operating Regions (if applicable)
Major UK-based/UK-focused Providers	Autocab (one of the largest in the UK), iCabbi (Irish, but very strong UK presence), Cab Treasure (UK-based), Envoy (UK-based), Magenta Technology (UK-based, Haulmont Technology), Cordic (UK-based), ElevateCode Digital (US Based), A to Z Dispatch (US-Based)	These companies often have a significant market share within the UK and are well-versed in UK licensing and operational nuances. Many are headquartered in various parts of England.
International Players with Strong UK Clients	TaxiCaller, Limo Anywhere (global, with UK clients), Hudson Software, Moovs, Onde, Jugnoo, Ground Alliance, FASTTRAK, Yellowsoft.ElevateCode Digital (US Based), A to Z Dispatch (US-Based)	These companies operate globally and serve clients in the UK. Their support may be localized, but their physical "presence" isn't region-specific.
White-label Solution Providers	Many of the above (e.g., Autocab, iCabbi, Yellowsoft) also provide white-label solutions,ElevateCode Digital (US Based), A to Z Dispatch (US-Based) allowing UK companies to launch their own branded apps with integrated dispatch.	These companies provide the underlying technology to UK fleet operators, not directly to end-users.
Region-wise Count	A definitive region-wise count of dispatch provider vendors is not available. Many vendors operate nationally.	The UK market is highly competitive, with a mix of large established players and smaller, agile software companies.

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Disclaimer: The data presented here is compiled from various public sources, including UK government reports (Department for Transport), industry analyses, and general market understanding. Due to the dynamic nature and proprietary aspects of the transportation industry, precise real-time figures, especially at a granular region-wise level, are often not publicly disclosed. This information should be used for general understanding and planning purposes, and further detailed market research may be required for specific business decisions.