FOI request detail

Ola

Request ID: FOI-1283-1819
Date published: 12 October 2018

You asked

Can I request any records of phone calls, meetings, and/or emails between TfL and executives from the Indian cab company Ola (incorporated in the UK as Ola UK Private Limited) between January 1 2017 and August 7 2018. Specifically, any records of conversations about: - Gaining a licence in London - Private hire and black taxi regulatory issues in London - Uber, Taxify, and Lyft The executives from Ola who may have been involved in conversations with TfL likely include Chandra Nath and potentially Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati. Others may have been in the conversations.

We answered

Our Ref: FOI-1283-1819

Thank you for your request received on 7 August 2018 asking for information about meetings or correspondence we have had with the company Ola.

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 hold some of the information you require. You asked:

Can I request any records of phone calls, meetings, and/or emails between TfL and executives from the Indian cab company Ola (incorporated in the UK as Ola UK Private Limited) between January 1 2017 and August 7 2018.

Specifically, any records of conversations about:

  • Gaining a licence in London

     

  • Private hire and black taxi regulatory issues in London

     

  • Uber, Taxify, and Lyft

Please find attached the following e-mail:

7 August 2018

Email from Bhavish Aggarwal to Gareth Powell

Informing Gareth of their plans to enter the UK market, and an advanced copy of their media release

Attachment:

  • Ola’s launch in the UK

     

  • OLA UK Entry - Media Release

Please find a list of meetings below:

Meetings

15 December 2017

TfL: Michael Hurwitz

Ola: Chandra Nath

Purpose: Brief intro to Ola, Transport Innovation in London, Draft Mayor’s Transport Strategy

31 January 2018

TfL: Gareth Powell, Michael Hurwitz, Graham Robinson, Matthew Hudson, Claire Wiseman, Rikesh Shah, Jane Commons

Ola: Carson Dalton

Content: Ola provided TfL with details of their business strategy. TfL shared the priorities of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy and details of our governance. There was no discussion on licensing.

Please note that for the above meeting, the persons listed for TfL were invited to the meeting, we do not have a complete list of who attended the meeting for TfL or Ola.

15 March 2018 (Telco)

TfL: Graham Robinson, Michael Stack

Ola: Carson Dalton (unsure if there were others)

Content: Clarification on some technical aspects of operator licensing regulations

18 June 2018

TfL: Graham Robinson, Claire Wiseman, Michael Stack

Ola: Chandra Nath, Ankur Nyati, Carson Dalton, Meera Ravibalan

Content: Ola provided an update regarding their launch in Australia and their intentions for the UK

Attachment:

  • FW: TfL and Ola

16 July 2018 (Telco)

TfL: Peter Nicholls

Ola: Carson Dalton, Meera Ravibalan

Content: To discuss the technical aspects of applying for and holding a London Service Permit

Attachment:

  • Copy TfL/Ola call regarding London Service Permit

Please note that in accordance with TfL’s obligations under Data Protection legislation some personal data has been removed, 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’.

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

Attachments

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