please provide by email the number of taxi enforcement officers in post and separately in training for each standard TfL reporting period since period 4 2017/18

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Our ref: FOI-2846-1819

Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 25 January 2019 asking for information about taxi enforcement officers.

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.

The following table shows the number of TfL officers authorised to carry out compliance and enforcement activities for Taxi and Private Hire drivers and vehicles and Private Hire operators:

	2017/18									2018/19
	P5	P6	P7	P8	P9	P10	P11	P12	P13	P1	P2	P3	P4	P5	P6	P7	P8	P9	P10	P11
Recruited TfL Officers	278	286	280	276	271	270	269	268	268	266	264	262	258	260	258	254	248	246	244	242
Recruited TfL Officers in training	0	7	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	0	0	0	0	0	0

The number of Compliance Officers combating unsafe and unlicensed taxi and private hire drivers on our streets has grown significantly from 82 in June 2016 to 242 today. This increase has seen the number of drivers and vehicles checked on the street rise significantly and compliance rates have improved from 78% compliance in June 2016 to 87% in January 2019. Since period 5 2017/18, there were 526,422 Taxi and PHV driver and vehicle inspections carried out and a further 7678 operator inspections carried out. We are now more efficient and effective with how officers are deployed and the impact that they have on compliance and Community Safety Accreditation Scheme powers given to TfL officers from the Met Police to stop and direct vehicles into designated stop sites provides a much more effective use of resource. As the graph attached indicates, Overall compliance rates have remained fairly consistent over the same time period despite fewer officer numbers and more targeted driver and vehicle inspections. 

We are reviewing the level of resources required to carry out Taxi and Private Hire enforcement, taking into account current compliance levels and to anticipate future demands.

If this is not the information you are looking for 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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