Despite apps such as Uber shaking up the taxi industry, new figures suggest traditional hailed cabs are becoming increasingly popular in Southend.

It comes as the Local Government Association is calling for new powers to help councils regulate the taxi industry following the rise of ride-hailing apps across England and Wales, to ensure taxi drivers are protected.

There are two main kinds of licensed vehicles in the trade – traditional taxis, which can be hailed from the street, and private hire vehicles, also known as minicabs, which need to be pre-booked.

Government figures show private hire vehicles accounted for 37 per cent of hireable vehicles in Southend in March – down from 47 per cent a decade before.

Overall, 159 minicabs were licensed to work in the area in March, compared to 216 a decade before. The drop in the share of licences taken by minicabs bucks the trend across England and Wales.

Of the 302,000 licences across the two nations in March, 75 per cent were held by minicabs, compared to 67 per cent ten years earlier.

Companies such as Uber have become increasingly popular in recent years – their drivers require private hire licences.

Simon Blackburn, chairman of the LGA’s safer and stronger communities board, said councils have long called for an overhaul of taxi laws “in an era when mobile phone technology is significantly changing the way people access private hire vehicles”.

He added: “The Government has said it is committed to reforming taxi licensing – it now needs to bring forward new legislation which addresses the need for national minimum standards."

A recent study commissioned by the Government also found the rise of ride-hailing apps has led to more minicab drivers working entirely outside their licensed area, known as cross-border hiring.

The report's recommendations included making taxis and minicabs start or finish their journeys within their licensed area, to make their activity easier to regulate, and introducing new safety measures.

Mr Blackburn added: “The reforms need to ensure a level playing field for drivers by tackling cross-border hiring, and include national enforcement powers so councils can take action against private hire vehicles operating in their areas, irrespective of where they are licensed.”

A DfT spokesman said: “The Government has consulted on a wide range of measures, including new driver safety standards to ensure passenger safety, and will publish its response in due course.”