New statistics show that there is a decline of private hire vehicles transporting passengers through Oldham’s streets compared to before the pandemic.

Figures by the Department for Transport reveal there were 1,003 private hire vehicles in Oldham as of March – up from 969 the year before but below 1,046 in March 2020.

A private hire vehicle, such as those available through Uber, must be pre-booked and cannot ply for hire.

This compares to a taxi or traditional black cab which can be hailed down and is charged on a timed meter.

The data for taxis shows Oldham remained steady with 85 available last year, which is in line with before the pandemic.

Yet of the taxis available in March, just 13 were wheelchair accessible while 24 private hire vehicles offered disabled access.

The figures also reveal there are now 1,293 licences for taxi and private hire drivers in the borough – below 1,366 in 2020.

But the GMB Union said running taxis and pre-booked cars has become more expensive due to a “perfect storm” of problems from the cost-of-living crisis to the coronavirus pandemic and licensing issues.

Across England and Wales, the total number of private vehicles increased in the last 12 months after a significant drop in 2021 – though it is still well below the number of vehicles on the roads before the pandemic.

There were 236,000 private hire vehicles in 2020, dropping to 197,000 last year before rebounding to 208,000 this year.

Meanwhile, the number of taxis across the country has continued to fall every year since 2017, from 80,500 to 62,300 this year.

Nationally, the number of licences has dropped from 376,700 in 2020 to 341,300.

GMB regional organiser, Steve Garelick, said: Taxi driving has got more expensive in recent years - and licensing isn't helping to support drivers.

"Whether it is fuel costs, or how expensive electric vehicles are, overheads are a struggle.

"Through the pandemic, many moved into other industries, and only now is demand picking back up fully, and drivers returning."

He added: "GMB will always stand with drivers for better terms and conditions in their roles."

Yaseen Aslam, president of the App Drivers and Couriers Union which represents private hire drivers, said: "A lot of people stopped driving during the pandemic as they became couriers and decided it was more cost-effective.”

Mr Aslam said private hire vehicle companies can sometimes offer low pay and said a cap on the total number of licenced drivers should be introduced to protect against increasingly lower fares.

"When they try and make it unlimited, it is not sustainable," he added.