Our ref: FOI-2484-1617

Thank you for your email received on 12 March asking for information regarding private hire operators and sub-contracted bookings.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act and our Information Access Policy. I can confirm that we hold some of the information you require. I have answered the questions as you have asked them:

(1) Has TFL amended ph operating centre inspection criteria in order to confirm any received sub contract booking is compliant with PH legislation

Sub-contracting by private hire operators in London is permitted under section 5 of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) Act 1998. Licensed operators in London have therefore always been allowed to sub-contract bookings to operators elsewhere in England, Wales and Scotland.

All bookings received by a London operator must be recorded and discharged in accordance with regulations regardless of the source of the booking.

(2) do TFL request copies & inspect the said contracts

In accordance with regulation 11(g) of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) (Operators’ Licences) Regulations 2000, operators must record the name of the other operator to whom a booking has been sub-contracted. Booking records are inspected during compliance inspections of operating centres but we do not ask for or inspect any contracts between operators.

(3) of the the 10 ph operators with the largest vehicles registered (information received from operator upload) how many have cross border sub contracts in place

Further to our response in answer to question two, we do not hold this information.

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