Addison Lee sparks row with TfL after telling drivers to use London bus lanes He added: "Black Taxis are not a public service, they are a business just like minicabs - and we will fight the injustice in the current legal system that subsidises them as if they provided a public service." But Mr Griffin has sparked a furious row with TfL, which is warning the company's drivers that they will potentially face criminal prosecution if they follow the "irresponsible" instructions. They have been told they could also have their licences revoked if they are caught using the bus lanes repeatedly. A TfL spokesman said Addison Lee could ultimately have its own operating licence withdrawn. The authority is "urgently considering legal and regulatory action" against the company, he said. Leon Daniels, managing director of surface transport at TfL, said in a statement: "The letter from the management of Addison Lee is utterly irresponsible. By issuing it, Addison Lee risk regulatory action against themselves and leave their staff liable to criminal prosecution. We have asked Addison Lee to withdraw their letter immediately. We are also writing to all Addison Lee drivers reminding them that repeated breaches of traffic regulations could see their licence to operate withdrawn. Addison Lee faced prosecution in 2010 after it told its drivers to use the unpopular M4 bus lane, which was subsequently scrapped by the Government. The private hire company had been preparing to make a defence of its position on the M4 bus lane in court after its drivers were issued with more than 200 tickets and 130 court summons. However, the charges were dropped shortly before the date of the hearing after prosecutors decided the case was not in the public interest. A spokesman for Addison Lee said the company decided to reignite debate this week in an effort to speed up its latest legal challenge. A date for the judicial review has yet to be decided. "Our aim is to get into a court of law to argue against this legislation," the spokesman said. TfL said despite Addison Lee's action, it had not yet detected a surge in the number of private hire cars using London's bus lanes. The authority argues that black taxis operate a different service to minicabs as they can be hailed to pick up passengers from the side of the road.