This year’s Women in Taxi event, sponsored by Veezu, took place in Bristol on Friday 6 March, bringing together female leaders, operators, industry partners and entrepreneurs from across the UK taxi and private hire sector.
Now in its third year, the event creates space for women working in the industry to share their experiences, discuss challenges and opportunities, and contribute to conversations about the future of taxi and private hire.
Hosted ahead of International Women’s Day, the event highlights the growing role women play across the sector and the importance of understanding how mobility systems can better serve both passengers and industry professionals.
The Bristol event welcomed more than 70 attendees, who gathered for a gala lunch followed by two lively panel discussions exploring women’s experiences in the industry and the future of mobility.
The first panel, featuring Madison Veck of Women in Transport, Natalie Jones of Apollo Taxi Wrexham, Amberine Nawaz of Pink Ladies and Sonia Nijjar of Cross Street Cars, explored the importance of understanding and supporting gender perspectives in transportation.
The first panel, featuring Madison Veck of Women in Transport, Natalie Jones of Apollo Taxi Wrexham, Amberine Nawaz of Pink Ladies and Sonia Nijjar of Cross Street Cars, explored the importance of understanding and supporting gender perspectives in transportation.
Discussions examined how gender bias can appear in transportation design and urban planning, and the important role the taxi and private hire industry can play in creating mobility systems that work for everyone. Panelists also reflected on the unique perspectives female leaders bring to operating and growing taxi and private hire fleets.
Safety for both passengers and drivers was a key topic, alongside the challenge of recruiting more female drivers. Currently, only around 3% of taxi and private hire drivers in the UK are women, making the profession one of the most male-dominated sectors in transport.
The reasons behind this trend — and how the industry can address it — sparked lively debate across the room, with operators sharing experiences and ideas on how fleets can become more attractive and accessible to women considering a career in the industry.
The second panel, featuring Liza Lipson of the PHTM, Amy Tingle of Veezu, Hedy Borreman of Taxicentrale Amsterdam & the European Taxi Association, Vicki O’Sullivan of iCabbi and Carly Barrett of Fareway Taxis, turned its focus to the future of the industry.
Naturally, the discussion turned to one of the defining topics of modern mobility: artificial intelligence. Panelists explored how AI technology could support fleet operations, enhance safety, and potentially play a role in increasing female participation in the sector. The conversation also examined how fleets should approach AI strategy today in order to remain relevant and successful in the years ahead.
The challenges, opportunities and risks associated with autonomous vehicles were also debated, with particular attention given to the unique position taxi and private hire fleets hold within their local communities.
Panelists highlighted that fleets sit at the intersection of global technology trends and local service delivery. Combining global best practices with strong local knowledge and relationships was identified as one of the sector’s greatest strengths.
In an increasingly competitive mobility landscape, being local remains a key differentiator for taxi and private hire fleets. Customer service, deep local knowledge, trusted relationships and community presence all form part of a value proposition that sets taxis apart from ride-hailing platforms.
How fleets can continue to lean into these strengths while also embracing global technology standards and innovations is a conversation that could continue far beyond a single panel discussion.
Throughout the afternoon, one thing was clear: the room was never quiet. The depth and energy of the discussions highlighted just how important it is that women’s voices are part of conversations shaping the industry’s future.
Sinéad Gillett, CMO of iCabbi, said:
“I’m incredibly proud of what Women in Taxi represents. The goal is not simply to celebrate women in the industry-albeit this is absolutely of high value, but to interrogate what we still don’t fully understand about gender perspectives in the taxi and private hire space and how we as an industry can contribute to the wider conversation around urban and mobility planning. Whether we’re talking about passengers, drivers or female leaders, there are important questions we should be asking about how different experiences shape the way people engage with transportation. By bringing these perspectives into the conversation, we can help ensure greater equity across the industry while also strengthening the sector itself.”
Veezu, the UK’s largest private hire platform, demonstrated its support for Women in Taxi by sponsoring the event. Amy Tingle, Integration Director said:
“Veezu is proud to support the iCabbi Women in Taxi event this year as part of International Women’s Day. Bringing more talented women into the taxi and private hire industry is essential to its future, and this event shines a light on the people already leading that change and celebrating their achievements. It’s also a great chance for us to listen, learn and play our part to make the sector more welcoming to women at every stage of their careers – and to show that this can be a realistic, rewarding choice for many more women in the years ahead.”
During the event, we also announced a new partnership with Women in Transport. As part of its Taxi Alliance member benefits, iCabbi will invite each member fleet to nominate an employee to join the organisation, with iCabbi covering the cost of membership. Through this initiative, participating fleets will gain access to Women in Transport’s professional network, events, and mentoring opportunities, helping to further support female participation and leadership within the sector.