Our ref: FOI-0101-2122/GH Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 16 April 2021 asking for information about Licensed Private Hire Operators. Your request has been considered under the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and our information access policy. I can confirm that we do hold the information you require. Please find attached a spreadsheet showing the licence numbers, Operator names, and the start and end dates for the current licences. This information was correct as of 3 May 2021. Please note that in accordance with TfL’s obligations under Data Protection legislation we are unable to disclose the Operator contact details and addresses as we can’t be sure which of this information is personal and which is information provided as contact details for the business itself. This information is therefore exempt from disclosure as required by section 40(2) of the FOI Act. This is because disclosure of this personal data would be a breach of the legislation, specifically the first principle which requires all processing of personal data to be fair and lawful. It would not be fair to disclose this personal information when the individuals have no expectation it would be disclosed and TfL has not satisfied one of the conditions which would make the processing ‘fair’. However, it is a condition of a PHV Operator licence holder to ensure that they have a contact number available for their customers, it is also in their interests to be visible to attract customers so this information is already in the public domain. Additionally we are not obliged to provide you with the number of drivers or vehicles registered to each Operator, as this information is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under sections 41 and 43(2). In this instance the section 43(2) exemption has been applied as this information has been provided in confidence and disclosure could be used by an Operator’s competitors to prejudice their commercial interests. The use of the exemption set out in section 43(2) is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, but in this instance the public interest in ensuring that Operators are able to compete fairly for business outweighs the general public interest in increasing transparency of the information we hold. Full details of the reasoning behind our application of these exemptions and the consideration and acceptance of these arguments by the Information Commissioner’s Office can be found at the following link: https://ico.org.uk/media/action-weve-taken/decision-notices/2017/2172517/fs50676040.pdf If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for some reason, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you are considering submitting a further FOI request please think carefully about whether the request is essential at this current time, as answering FOI requests will require the use of limited resources and the attention of staff who could be supporting other essential activity. Where requests are made, please note that our response time may be impacted by the current situation. If you are not satisfied with this response please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal. Yours sincerely Graham Hurt FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London

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