TfL policy to ensure private hire remains safe and convenient

Transport for London (TfL) has launched a policy statement in response to changes in the private hire industry and new services available. It aims to keep the capital at the forefront of regulating taxi and private hire services while maintaining the safety of passengers. As part of a series of changes to increase industry standards, TfL is advancing regulations to assess private hire drivers and applicants on safeguarding, disability, equality and knowledge of private hire vehicle (PHV) legislation as
February 19, 2018 Read time: 2 mins

1466 Transport for London (TfL) has launched a policy statement in response to changes in the private hire industry and new services available. It aims to keep the capital at the forefront of regulating taxi and private hire services while maintaining the safety of passengers.

As part of a series of changes to increase industry standards, TfL is advancing regulations to assess private hire drivers and applicants on safeguarding, disability, equality and knowledge of private hire vehicle (PHV) legislation as part of an enhanced driver assessment package.

In addition, TfL will consider proposals for consultation relating to an advanced driving test, PHV operator fleet insurance and PHV signage. It will also contemplate the impact of removing the Congestion Charge exemption for these vehicles.

New regulations could include strengthened requirements for operators to commit to safety as a high priority, and to take steps to ensure the safety of passengers as well as drivers dealing with difficult situations. They may also have to clearly state policies and action plans for the prevention and reporting of offences and for clear, named accountability at senior management level for safety, reporting and protection of personal data. In addition, operators may have to provide mechanisms that enable passengers to choose who they share vehicles with and establish how they might be able to make this decision before accepting a ride. Implementing insurance for the use of all PHVs with contingency insurance cover for ride-sharing and fleet insurance where appropriate may also be required.

The policy statement sets out TfL's expectations for these services, and its principles will inform future consultations on specific regulations. These will be designed to fit with the Mayor of London's ambition for a safe, active, sustainable and efficient transport network.

Other areas that form part of the vision and further details are available on the %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external website TFL Website link false https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/taxi-and-private-hire false false%>.

Enforcement

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • New webinar series: connected vehicles and the environment
    September 12, 2012
    The United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) has announced a series of webinars for its Applications for the Environment: Real-Time Information Synthesis (AERIS) program. The webinars will review the conclusions of an extensive benefits/cost analysis, three draft concepts of operations devised by the program to describe Transformative Concepts, as well as a summary of the results of an eco-approach field experiment. The webinars are free and open to the public, but interested attendees need to re
    Read More
  • Lyft app gets bike lanes to encourage safer cycling
    September 26, 2019
    Lyft is adding protected bike lanes and bike-friendly routes to its app to encourage more people to use two-wheeled transportation. The Verge reports that the protected bike lanes will appear as dark green lines in the app while bike-friendly routes that are less protected will be represented as dotted green lines. The feature is available for Lyft bikes and scooter-sharing services on iOS devices, with Android to follow soon. Lyft’s head of micromobility policy, Caroline Samponaro, says: “Each ride
    Read More
  • Bird acquires California-based EV firm Scoot
    June 19, 2019
    Scooter-share firm Bird is to acquire Scoot, a San Francisco-based electric vehicle (EV) company. Scoot began deploying electric scooters in San Francisco in 2012 and has expanded in Santiago, Chile and Barcelona. Travis VanderZanden, founder and CEO of Bird says the partnership will work toward replacing “car trips with micro mobility options for all”. Scoot will continue to operate under the same name but as a subsidiary of Bird.
    Read More
  • Boeing autonomous air vehicle completes first flight in Virginia
    January 30, 2019
    Boeing has completed a test flight of its autonomous passenger air vehicle (PAV) prototype in the US. The electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft was developed through a collaboration between Boeing subsidiary companies Boeing NeXt and Aurora Flight Services. Boeing NeXt works with regulatory agencies and industry partners to help introduce new mobility modes and ensure autonomous and piloted air vehicles safely coexist. Steve Nordlund, vice president and general manager of Boeing NeXt, sa
    Read More

Highlighted Content