Our Ref:          FOI-1064-1819

Thank you for your request received on 18 July 2018 asking for information about private hire operators.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm we do hold the information you require.

The names of Private Hire Operators can be found on our licence checker. A ‘wildcard’ search is possible by leaving all of the fields blank and just pressing the ‘search’ button:

https://tph.tfl.gov.uk/TfL/SearchOperatingCentre.page?org.apache.shale.dialog.DIALOG_NAME=TPHOperatingCentre&Param=lg2.TPHOperatingCentre&menuId=9

In accordance with section 21 of the FOI Act, TfL is not obliged to supply you with a copy of the requested information as it is already accessible to you elsewhere.

Please note that in accordance with TfL’s obligations under Data Protection legislation we have not provided address details, as required by section 40(2) of the FOI Act. Some of the operators are sole traders and their registered address is also their home address. 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’.

Additionally, in accordance with the FOI Act we are not obliged to supply information on the number of vehicles registered with each operator as this is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 43(2) of the FOI Act.
 
In this instance section 43(2) exemption has been applied to the number of vehicles registered with the operators listed as it is commercially sensitive. Disclosure of this information would enable rival companies to have an insight into any operator’s business model and undermine their position in the competitive market place.
 
The use of this exemption 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 feel that the balance lies in favour of withholding the information to ensure that private hire operators can continue to be able to operate effectively without being placed at a commercial disadvantage. Please refer to the Decision Notice issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office for further details: 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 feel free 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

[email protected]