Cab order changing the 6-mile compellable distance
Request ID: FOI-1771-2122 Date published: 07 December 2021
You asked
In 2001 Transport for London introduced a cab order changing the 6-mile compellable distance a taxi driver was required to take a passenger to 12 miles.
https://content.tfl.gov.uk/london-cab-no-2-order-2001-fare-tariff-and-compellable-distance.pdf
1. Can you please provide me with all health and safety risk assessments and/or any considerations/documents regarding any future health problems this ‘cab order’ would cause to taxi drivers? By way of an example, but not limited to this example; any future health impacts to male drivers who could suffer prostate health problems later in life as a result of being unable to urinate beyond the 6-mile compellable trip and not until the 12 miles/1 hour?
2. Can you please provide me with all health and safety risk assessments and/or considerations/documents regarding any future health problems this cab order would cause to taxi drivers with the implementation of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTN’s)? By way of an example, but not limited to this example; with the introduction of LTN’s the distance travelled and time taken to get a passenger to a specific location has increased, meaning that with traffic it would take longer (in time and distance) to pass through an LTN area (i.e Islington) on the way to Enfield (within the compellable distance).
If there is no health and safety risk assessments or considerations/documents in regards to the health taxi drivers when introducing these policies on taxi drivers then please make this clear.
Clearly, this will be a very important issue for TfL “As the licensing authority and regulator for London's taxi and private hire services, we take the health and wellbeing of licensees seriously” [sic].
As shown here: https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/health-and-wellbeing
We answered
Our Ref: FOI-1771-2122
Thank you for your request received on 9 November 2021 asking for information about a 2001 cab order change to the compellable distance a taxi driver is required to take a passenger.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. You asked:
1. Can you please provide me with all health and safety risk assessments and/or any considerations/documents regarding any future health problems this ‘cab order’ would cause to taxi drivers? By way of an example, but not limited to this example; any future health impacts to male drivers who could suffer prostate health problems later in life as a result of being unable to urinate beyond the 6-mile compellable trip and not until the 12 miles/1 hour?
We do not hold this information. Any information on what was considered when the compellable distance was changed from six to twelve miles will have been destroyed in line with our corporate retention policies as the data would now be twenty years old.
2. Can you please provide me with all health and safety risk assessments and/or considerations/documents regarding any future health problems this cab order would cause to taxi drivers with the implementation of low traffic neighbourhoods (LTN’s)? By way of an example, but not limited to this example; with the introduction of LTN’s the distance travelled and time taken to get a passenger to a specific location has increased, meaning that with traffic it would take longer (in time and distance) to pass through an LTN area (i.e Islington) on the way to Enfield (within the compellable distance).
We do not hold this information as we do not have any LTNs on the TfL Road Network (TLRN) for which we are the highway authority. This information will be held by the relevant boroughs in which the LTNs are located, please contact them directly for this information.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal.
Yours sincerely
Gemma Jacob FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
