Request ID: FOI-2723-2324 Date published: 27 November 2023
You asked
I would like to know the number of staff working on private hire vehicle applications. Number of new private hire vehicle applications which have completed all assessments and are waiting for results. I would like to know what’s the name of the company handling these enquiries on behalf of TFL if different from answer for Request (Request ID: FOI-2284-2223). Number of Private Hire Licenced Drivers who have had there licences re-issued but have failed SERU test more than twice.
We answered
Our ref: FOI-2723-2324/GH
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 31 October 2023 asking for information about private hire vehicle applications.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked:
I would like to know the number of staff working on private hire vehicle applications. Number of new private hire vehicle applications which have completed all assessments and are waiting for results. I would like to know what’s the name of the company handling these enquiries on behalf of TFL if different from answer for Request (Request ID: FOI-2284-2223). Number of Private Hire Licenced Drivers who have had there licences re-issued but have failed SERU test more than twice.
There are 35 members of staff responsible for scheduling vehicle inspections, and our vehicle licensing service contract is currently supplied to Transport for London by NSL Services Limited.
I can confirm that we do hold the remainder of information you require. However, to provide this would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004, as we would have to manually check thousands of licence applications within the period requested i.e. since the introduction of the Safety, Equality and Regulatory Understanding (SERU) assessment in 1 October 2021.
Under section 12 of the FOI Act, we are not obliged to comply with a request if we estimate that the cost of determining whether we hold the information, locating and retrieving it and extracting it from other information would exceed the appropriate limit. This is calculated at £25 per hour for every hour spent on the activities described. In this instance, we estimate that the time required to answer your request would exceed 18 hours which, at £25 per hour (the rate stipulated by the Regulations), exceeds the ‘appropriate limit’.
To help bring the cost of responding to your request within the £450 limit, you may wish to consider narrowing its scope for licence applications over a narrower period of time for example, so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract the information you are seeking. If you want to refine your request or make a Freedom of Information Act request in future, please bear in mind that the Freedom of Information Act allows you to request recorded information held by us.
Although your request can take the form of a question, rather than a request for specific documents, we do not have to answer your question if it would require the creation of new information or the provision of a judgement, explanation, advice or opinion that was not already recorded at the time of your request.
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
