The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is hoping the UK capital can follow in the footsteps of New York by limiting the number of drivers that are able to operate there.

According to the Guardian, Khan believes that a cap is urgent and necessary in order to get a handle on the massive growth of ride-hailing in London. However, as it stands, the Mayor is unable to put any restrictions in place and he has called on the UK government to grant him the powers that would enable him to do so.

Last week in New York, which is Uber’s largest US market, the city council signed off on a one-year suspension on new licenses being handed out for vehicles used for ride-hailing services. Alongside this, the city also agreed to set a minimum wage for drivers on these platforms.

How similar Khan’s plans are and whether he’ll actually get permission to carry out his plans remains to be seen. Either way, the London mayor has written to transport secretary Chris Grayling stating that he wants to “create a vibrant taxi and private hire market in the capital” and that the rapid increase of private hire drivers in London has caused “increased congestion, polluting out air and leaving many drivers struggling to make enough money to support themselves and their families”.

All of this comes almost two months after Uber was handed a 15-month probationary license to operate in London – during which time it has to meet rules set out by Transport for London (TfL).