Dear Sir/Madam I am a london green badge (GB) black taxi driver and have driven a taxi largely on a part time basis. My current situation is that i may need to drive the taxi full time, however, talking to other drivers, i am concerned about the longevity of the trade. With less new drivers seemingly entering the trade each year and the trade’s demographic heavily concentrated around 50-60 yr old drivers, i am worried as to how long .. within tfls taxi guidelines .. the london taxi trade can sustain both itself and the trading privileges granted by tfl. I have the following questions, answers to which will enable me to perform a demographic analysis and draw some conclusions about the sustainability of the trade. It would be appreciated if you could provide me this information (ideally in spreadsheet or csv format) or advise me how this information may be obtained. Note .. i am only concerned with GB drivers The questions are: 1. How many GB drivers are registered with tfl 2. GB Taxi Driver Age profile (not driver names). I wish to see a list of groups with each group identified in mm/yyyy format. The groups will cover the dob’s of drivers included in your q1 figure above. Each group will indicate how many drivers dobs fall into each specific mm/yyyy group. I would also like the number in each group split out into male/female. Here is an example of the report layout requested. (Title1) London Green Badge Taxi Drivers (Title2) Driver Birth Date Groups (mm/yyyy) (Title 3) mm/yy NumOfDrivers Male Female (Detail) 05/1957 200 150 50 06/1957 175 160 15 07/1957 210 170 40 Etc So the first detail line from the example above means .. .. 05/1957 the group representing drivers born in may 1957 .. 200 the total number of drivers born in may 1957 .. 150 male drivers making up the 200 .. 50 female drivers making up the 200. This information will enable me to forecast driver run-off rates. The sum total of the total number of drivers in each group will equal the figure you provided in q1 above. The collation of the above may appear daunting and you may already have this info available. However, in case you are not aware, the information can be readily provided through a relatively simple database query (possibly through your IT team). 3. Please advise if tfl require london black taxis to meet performance service levels for taxis to retain their existing trading privileges, including but not limited to: bus lane access .. train station ranking .. street ranking .. street hire etc. It would be appreciated if you could advise me of any service level criteria currently in place. For example one imaginary service level might be: one taxi to pass through Oxford Circus every 4mins between 10am to midnight each day. 4. Maximum number of GB taxi drivers. I would assume tfl have a limit in place and it would be appreciated if you would advise me of the criteria used to arrive at this figure. 5. Finally, it would be appreciated if tfl would share the results of any similar driver age/demographic analyses (obviously desensitised) they are likely to have undertaken. For example, such computations might be used as part input to short/medium term driver licencing revenues utilised for annual funding purposes. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

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Our ref: FOI-1291-1819/GH

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 2 August 2018 asking for London Taxi Driver (Green Badge) Statistics.

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 some of the information you require. Please see below the answers to the questions you have raised.

1. How many GB drivers are registered with TfL

This information is regularly published on our website and is available at the following location: https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/licensing-information.

2. GB Taxi Driver Age profile (not driver names). I wish to see a list of groups with each group identified in mm/yyyy format. The groups will cover the dob’s of drivers included in your q1 figure above. Each group will indicate how many drivers dobs fall into each specific mm/yyyy group. I would also like the number in each group split out into male/female.

Please see the spreadsheet attached.

3. Please advise if tfl require london black taxis to meet performance service levels for taxis to retain their existing trading privileges, including but not limited to: bus lane access .. train station ranking .. street ranking .. street hire etc. It would be appreciated if you could advise me of any service level criteria currently in place. For example one imaginary service level might be: one taxi to pass through Oxford Circus every 4mins between 10am to midnight each day.

We license and regulate the taxi trade in London.

In order to be licensed as a taxi driver, applicants must meet a strict range of requirements; these are available on our website at the following location: https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/apply-for-a-taxi-driver-licence.

To maintain high industry standards we carry out on-street compliance inspections and investigate any passenger complaints that are made. However, taxi drivers are self employed and do not have any performance levels set by Transport for London.

4. Maximum number of GB taxi drivers. I would assume TfL have a limit in place and it would be appreciated if you would advise me of the criteria used to arrive at this figure.

Currently, if an applicant meets the statutory eligibility criteria, we are legally obliged to issue a licence. Please see our website for further information: www.tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/licensing-information#on-this-page-5.

5. Finally, it would be appreciated if TfL would share the results of any similar driver age/demographic analyses (obviously desensitised) they are likely to have undertaken. For example, such computations might be used as part input to short/medium term driver licencing revenues utilised for annual funding purposes.

We do not hold any such analyses.

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 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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