Request ID: FOI-4649-2324 Date published: 04 April 2024
You asked
Here, I am lost in transparency and open books of this organization, I would like to make a FOI (Freedom of Information request). In conjunction with freedom of Information Act 2000.
please, provide receipt upon receiving this FOI request in seven working days without which I will write to Information Commissioner's office.
about, Number of Hail taxis (Black Cap) and Private Hire Licences Issued to Both Vehicles and Drivers in Statistics chart, Since 01/04/2000 until today you have received my request. Neither, in Such Detailed are Published nor have previously answered.
Could you please provide following:
Vehicles;
1. Total number of licences issued to Hail taxis (Black Caps) and their Series from Euro 1 to Euro 6.
2. Total number of Licences issued to Private Hire Vehicles. and their Series from Euro 1 to Euro 6.
Drivers;
1. Black Cap Taxi Drivers; Total Number of licences issued to Drivers.
A- How many are a British Citizens.
B- How many are a EU and EEU Citizens.
C- How many are on a Work Visa,
2. Private Hire Drivers; Total Number of licences issued to drivers.
A- How many are a British Citizens.
B- How many are a EU and EEU Citizens.
C- How many are a on a Work Visa.
We answered
TfL Ref: 4649-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 16 March 2024 asking for information about numbers of taxi and private hire licences and drivers.
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 we hold the information you require. You asked:
Could you please provide following since 01/04/2000 to date:
Vehicles;
Total number of licences issued to Hail taxis (Black Caps) and their Series from Euro 1 to Euro 6. Total number of Licences issued to Private Hire Vehicles. and their Series from Euro 1 to Euro 6.
Drivers;
Black Cap Taxi Drivers; Total Number of licences issued to Drivers. A- How many are a British Citizens. B- How many are a EU and EEU Citizens. C- How many are on a Work Visa,
2. Private Hire Drivers; Total Number of licences issued to drivers. A- How many are a British Citizens. B- How many are a EU and EEU Citizens. C- How many are a on a Work Visa.
Unfortunately, to provide this information would exceed the ‘appropriate limit’ of £450 set by the Freedom of Information (Appropriate Limit and Fees) Regulations 2004. 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.
We have estimated that it would cost over £450 to provide a response to your current request. This is because it is estimated that it would take over 18 working hours to retrieve and compile the information you have requested.
For the period you have requested, there have been many thousands of licensed taxi and private hire drivers, however, we do not hold the information requested in a reportable format and would need to manually to review thousands of licences, both current and historical, to answer your questions.
To help bring the cost of responding to your request within the £450 limit, you may wish to consider narrowing its scope so that we can more easily locate, retrieve and extract the information you are seeking. For example, if you submitted a new request we may be able to answer question 1 of your original request for the current number of vehicles we licence and their various engine specifications.
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
Sara Thomas FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
