-Details of all licensed vehicles in your area -If each vehicle is registered to an owner, I need their details -Address of each registered taxi

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Our ref: FOI-4970-1718

Thank you for your letter, received on 2 March 2018, asking for information about licensed taxis and private hire vehicles.

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 the information you require. We publish information on the vehicles and drivers we license at https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/licensing-information

You asked for:

• Details of all licensed vehicles in your area (Registration No., Make, Model, Colour, License No).

   

   

• If each vehicle is registered to an owner/operator I need their details (Name, D.O.B, License No.).

   

   

• Address of each registered taxi.

Please note that in accordance with the FOI Act we are not obliged to supply information regarding the ownership of taxi and private hire vehicles as it is subject to a statutory exemption to the right of access to information under section 43(2) of the FOI Act.

In this instance the section 43(2) exemption has been applied to the number of licensed vehicles owned by specific companies as it is commercially sensitive. The disclosure of this information would enable rival companies to gain an insight into their competitor’s business operations and undermine their position in the competitive market place.

The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the public interest in relation to the disclosure of the information concerned. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, but in this instance feel that the balance lies in favour of withholding the information to ensure that taxi and private hire companies can continue to operate effectively without being placed at a commercial disadvantage.

Additionally, in accordance with our obligations under the Data Protection Act 1998 (DPA), the address details for licensed taxi owners has not been provided as required by section 40(2) of the FOI Act. This is because disclosure of this personal information would be a breach of DPA, specifically the first principle of the DPA which requires all processing of personal data to be fair and lawful. It would not be fair to disclose this personal information when the individuals have no expectation it would be disclosed and TfL has not satisfied one of the conditions of Schedule 2 of the Data Protection Act which would make the processing ‘fair’.

The requested information that we can provide to you is in the attached excel spreadsheet which is correct as of 4 March 2018.

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

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