Do taxi drivers in London ever refuse short journeys?

In London, it is illegal for taxi drivers to refuse customers who wish to take them a short distance. Licensed taxi drivers must accept all fares that are located within their licensing area, and declining to take a fare because the trip is too short is not considered an acceptable excuse to do so under the law.

Some taxi drivers may still express reluctance about accepting customers from busy downtown areas because they do not want to have their time wasted with short-distance rides, leaving many people to rely on pre-booked services such as Stansted Airport taxi or Stratford Airport taxi or Luton Airport taxi or local services such as Woodford taxis or taxi companies located in Enfield for certain peace of mind.