The UK government has announced a significant ban preventing asylum seekers from using taxis to travel to medical appointments, a move designed to curb an annual expenditure of £15.8 million on the service.
From February, individuals in the asylum system will be required to use alternative transport like buses, regardless of the urgency of their medical needs. This decision follows a government review initiated after a BBC investigation uncovered instances of costly, long-distance taxi journeys.
Drivers Behind the Taxi Ban
The policy shift comes in direct response to revelations of excessive spending. An investigation highlighted one case where a man took a 250-mile taxi ride costing £600 for a GP visit. In another example, a subcontractor in south-east London was reportedly charging the Home Office around £1,000 per day for multiple short trips from an asylum hotel to a local GP surgery.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood condemned the previous system, stating the government had inherited Conservative contracts that were “wasting billions of taxpayers hard-earned cash.” She affirmed, “I am ending the unrestricted use of taxis by asylum seekers for hospital appointments, authorising them only in the most exceptional circumstances.”
Limited Exceptions and Campaigner Concerns
Under the new robust rules, taxi use will be strictly limited to exceptional, evidenced cases. The Home Office will need to personally sign off on any authorised journeys, which may include people with physical disabilities, serious chronic illnesses, or pregnancy-related needs.
This ban, however, has been implemented alongside a rejection of long-standing pleas from campaigners for free public transport passes. Organisations like Citizens UK have argued for years that a bus pass would not only be more cost-effective but would also allow asylum seekers to take children to school and access volunteering opportunities.
A pilot scheme for free bus travel was launched in Oxford in November 2024, and Scotland has recommitted to providing free bus travel by 2026. Currently, asylum seekers are entitled to just one return bus journey per week, with contractors often defaulting to taxis for all other necessary travel.
Broader Crackdown and Future Plans
The taxi ban is part of a wider government effort to reduce waste in asylum accommodation and transport contracts. Officials claim these measures have already saved more than £74 million in accommodation costs alone.
The government also plans to tackle overcharging by suppliers through regular audits and strengthened reporting requirements. Furthermore, it reaffirmed its pledge to remove all asylum seekers from hotels by the end of this parliament, a move projected to save £500 million, despite recent figures showing 36,273 people remain in such accommodation.
This transport policy change coincides with a stated increase in immigration enforcement, with the government claiming to have removed or deported almost 50,000 people since taking power and conducting a record number of raids on illegal working.
