Our Ref:         FOI-1164-1920

Thank you for your request received on 23 July 2019 asking for information about London taxi drivers.
 
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. You asked:
 
2. As you're aware, the drivers who appeared in our mental heath film "Driven to Despair" cite that they have also undergone a change to their mental health? - Under a freedom of information request can you please tell me when TfL have written to these drivers to tell them that they are now being "monitored and assessed"?
 
In accordance with our obligations under Data Protection legislation we are withholding the requested information, as required by section 40(2) of the FOI Act. This is because disclosure of personal data would be a breach of the legislation, specifically the first principle of Article 5 of the General Data Protection Regulation 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’.
 
This exemption to the right of access to information is an absolute exemption and not subject to an assessment of whether the public interest favours use of the exemption.
 
9. (e) On the subject of taxi drivers and wheelchair acceptance - under a freedom of information request can you please tell me in the last 12 months how many newly qualified taxi drivers have undergone wheelchair training prior to be granted a hackney carriage licence? 
 
Following the withdrawal of the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) test in December 2016, we have a temporary arrangement in place to license taxi drivers who have passed the Knowledge of London with a condition requiring them to pass a driving assessment once new arrangements have been finalised.
 
Further information is provided on our website: https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/learn-the-knowledge-of-london/taking-the-taxi-driving-test.
 
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]