Drivers with drink driving convictions granted licence
Request ID: FOI-0242-2223 Date published: 19 May 2022
You asked
Follow-on from FOI-0093-2223:
My request was to know how many drivers (private hire/taxi) with drink driving convictions have been granted licences in 2021 and how many have been refused licences in 2021. I believe the approximately 120000 individual taxi and private hire licence records you mention is the total number rather than the ones issued/granted in 2021.
So I would like to know how many private hire drivers and taxi drivers with drink driving convictions have been granted licences in 2021 and how many have been refused licences in 2021.
If the number of hours requested to collate this information is higher than 18, then can I please know how many private hire drivers and taxi drivers with drink driving convictions have been granted licences in August 2021 and how many have been refused licences in August 2021.
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-0242-2223
Thank you for your request received on 28 April 2022 asking for information about drivers with drink driving convictions that have been granted licences in 2021.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we do hold the information you require.
We apologise for the previous misunderstanding regarding the timeframe of your request. Unfortunately, to provide the information you have requested would still exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004.
As previously advised, under section 12 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to comply with a request if we estimate that the cost of determining whether we hold the information, locating and retrieving it and extracting it from other information would exceed the appropriate limit. This is calculated at £25 per hour for every hour spent on the activities described.
We have estimated that it would cost in excess of £450 to provide a response to your current request as it estimated that it would take over 18 working hours to retrieve and compile the information you have requested. For August 2021 alone, we would still need to check over 3,000 individual taxi and private hire driver records to identify, extract and collate this information.
To help bring the cost of responding to your request within the £450 limit, you may wish to consider narrowing its scope further, however please note that we would still need to review the driver files to obtain this information. If you want to refine your request or make a Freedom of Information Act request in future, please bear in mind that the Freedom of Information Act allows you to request recorded information held by us.
Although your request can take the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, we do not have to answer your question if it would require the creation of new information or the provision of a judgement, explanation, advice or opinion that was not already recorded at the time of your request.
Please note that we will not be taking further action until we receive your revised request.
In the meantime, if you have any queries or would like to discuss your request, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob Senior FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
