Number of staff handling licensing and vehicle inspection requests from drivers and agreed SLA’s with the handling company.
Request ID: FOI-2284-2223 Date published: 05 January 2023
You asked
1-I would like to know the number of staff working on phone taking request from Taxi/Private Hire drivers to apply phv vehicle inspection.
2- I would like to know the number of staff working to answer licensing enquiries by email ([email protected]) from Taxi/Private Hire drivers.
3- I would like to know what’s the name of the company handling these enquiries on behalf of TFL and what is the Service Level Agreement about the two above procedures.
We answered
Our ref: FOI-2284-2223/GH
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 08 December 2022 asking for information about the number of staff handling licensing and vehicle inspection requests from drivers and agreed SLA’s with the handling company.
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 the information you require. You asked:
1. I would like to know the number of staff working on phone taking request from Taxi/Private Hire drivers to apply phv vehicle inspection.
2. I would like to know the number of staff working to answer licensing enquiries by email ([email protected]) from Taxi/Private Hire drivers.
3. I would like to know what’s the name of the company handling these enquiries on behalf of TFL and what is the Service Level Agreement about the two above procedures.
Below I have answered your queries in the order posed.
1. There are 35 members of staff responsible for scheduling vehicle inspections.
2. The number of licensing staff fluctuates but we have a headcount of approximately 40 people responsible for processing and responding to licensing queries.
3. Driver licensing staff are employed directly by Transport for London. We aim to respond to licensing queries within 5 days of receipt.
The vehicle licensing service contract is currently supplied to Transport for London by NSL Services Limited.
The service level agreement is commercially sensitive and in accordance with the FOI Act, we are not obliged to release this information. Disclosure of this information is therefore subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 43(2).
In this instance the section 43(2) exemption has been applied as disclosure would be likely to prejudice our commercial interests, by affecting our ability to achieve best value from negotiating future contracts.
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 the public interest in ensuring that we are able to benefit the public purse by achieving the best value from our contractors outweighs the general public interest in increasing transparency of our processes.
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
