TfL Ref: 3006-1819

Thank you for your email received by us on 9 February 2019 asking for information about the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and Black Cabs.

Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. You asked:

1. Why black cabs are exempt from the ULEZ
2. All correspondence related to this exemption with all assocaitions and unions of Black Cab drivers
3. Whether any payments have been made by any such associations to TFL
4. The extract of the official paper that explains why they are exempt

I would like the above as I cannot understand why the polluting things will be allowed to drive for free and cleaner cars wont

London-licensed taxis are already subject to a 15-year age limit and new emissions standards have already been introduced for them. Since 1 January 2018 all newly licensed taxis must be capable of producing zero emissions.

The following link provides information that may be of use to you, as this details how we plan to have the cleanest taxi fleet in the world: https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/emissions-standards-for-taxis

However, given the extent of the information you are requesting, we are applying the exception set out in Regulation 12(4)(b) of the EIRs to your request as providing the information you have requested, which is very broad in scope, would impose unreasonable costs on us and require an unreasonable diversion of resources. To answer your request in full would take an excessive amount of staff time and resources, and would require the identification, retrieval and review of a considerable volume of information in order to locate anything that could be relevant to your request.

The use of this exception is subject to a public interest test, which requires us to consider whether the public interest in applying the exception outweighs the public interest in disclosure. We recognise that the release of information would promote accountability and transparency in public services and also help address your particular concerns about this issue. However, the time it would take to provide the information you have requested would divert a disproportionate amount of our resources from its core functions and, taking into account the information already published, on balance we consider that the public interest currently favours the use of the exception.

We will consider your request again, if you are able to narrow its scope so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract the information you are seeking. If you have specific questions we will be happy to consider those.

Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.

Yours sincerely

Jasmine Howard
FOI Case Officer
Information Governance
Transport For London