If you’re in the private hire/taxi trade then you can’t have missed Uber and their innovative way of connecting passengers with drivers, and using smartphones to drive things forward.
To work with Uber you will need to have a PCO licence and also have your own licensed vehicle too but don’t think you can do this in any old banger (not that you would), but Uber have their own approved list of vehicles for driving in London.
This list is updated regularly, so if you are considering partnering with Uber and also buying a new car then check before hand.
You can download the latest list from here.