December 2023

The magazine for London’s taxi and private hire industries

Swapsiesmaking healthierchoices

It’s a kind of magic
The Magical Taxi TourPaw patrol
operations

Better tyres forelectric cars

1

Passenger safety
consultation

Policing
pedicabs

Contents
3

Highlights this issue

4

Welcome5

Driving seat

24 Wellbeing
25

30 Security
31

37

The most magical taxi trip

19 Green zone
19

Out with the 'paw patrol'

37 The manual

13 In the headlights
13

Easy swaps for better health

Improving safety for taxi andprivate hire vehicle passengers

49 Thank you

Trialling new tyre technology

2Highlights this issue

p13. In the headlights

p19. Green zone

One family and their driver
take the taxi trip of a lifetime
to Disneyland Paris

How new tyre technology is
helping to make electric vehicles
more eco-friendly

p24. Wellbeing

p37. The manual

Ditch the New Year resolutions
and make these easy diet andfitness swaps instead

The safety for taxi and private
hire passengers consultation andforum discussions3

Welcome
Now is one of the busiest times in thecalendars of London taxi and private
hire drivers. While people are out andabout enjoying themselves during theChristmas and New Year breaks, we wantthem to do so in the safest possible way.
That’s why safety – for both passengers
and drivers – features large in this issueof OnRoute. You can read about a
new safety campaign, on-street safety
operations, TPH’s safety forums and theresults of the Improving safety for taxi
and private hire passengers consultation.

break to Disneyland Paris. Join taxi driver
Ahmed, dad Tony and his children Freya
and Theo on their journey from Canary
Wharf and down through France (p13).
Elsewhere, you can pick up tips on easy
ways to improve your diet and fitnesslevels, go out and about on a ‘paw
patrol’ and discover how innovative tyre
technology can increase the range ofelectric vehicles (p19).
Have a wonderful (and safe) festive
season, and if there’s something you’d
like us to include in a future issue, drop usa line at onroute@tfl.gov.uk

We also have a report on a truly
wonderful annual event – the Magical
Taxi Tour – which sees children with lifethreatening conditions go on a three-day

4Driving seat

Driving seat
Putting you at the heart of taxi and private hire

Chelsea Pensioner Mike Smith prepares to take flight p8

p7 Take part in two consultations
p8 Fun days out with the Taxi Charity
p10 Introducing a new taxi app

5Driving seat

Taxi marshals are now operating at Liverpool Street station

Safer streets in the City
The taxi rank is clearly signposted andtwo taxi marshals are present each
evening wearing high-visibility jackets toguide passengers into vehicles for a safe
journey home.

A new safety scheme has been launched
by London Taxi PR and The City of
London Crime Prevention Association at
Liverpool Street station’s taxi rank.
With workers now returned to theiroffices in the City, and late-night venues
in the area seeing increased businessfrom Thursday through to Saturday,
the scheme provides experienced taxi
marshals at the rank to help travellers,
especially women, get home safely.

The scheme will be reviewed on a monthly
basis, assessing the requirements of taxis
later into the night and early morning,
and also customer demand.
It is hoped that this will also help to deter
the risk of crime in the area and maintaina safe environment for customers.

The scheme operates on Thursday, Friday
and Saturday nights from 22:00 to 01:00.

6

Driving seat

Healthy Route forSouth Bank trial
Lambeth council has launched a trial of
Healthy Route interventions along theSpine Route. This is the network of streetsaround Waterloo Bridge, Jubilee Gardens,Southbank Centre and Bernie Spain
Gardens. The route is used by millions
of people every year as a connection to
cultural institutions such as Royal Festival
Hall and the National Theatre.
New Cycleway proposed for Wembley

The council is using Experimental Traffic
Orders to introduce the route and will
monitor traffic levels during the trial.

Consultation

The changes include:• New traffic filters installed on Upper
Ground at Waterloo Bridge and a seriesof coach parking bays on the ramp
beside the bridge will be removed toreduce road danger for cyclists coming
off the bridge

TfL, in collaboration with Brent Council, is
inviting people to have their say on major
new plans to make it easier and safer
for people to walk and cycle between
Wembley Central and Harlesden stations.
The plans would create a new Cycleway
with proposed changes including:• A new one-way section on the
eastbound part of Upper Ground, from
Duchy Street to Broadwall. Contraflow
cycling westbound will still be permitted
via a protected cycle lane

• A protected two-way cycle lane on the
Harrow Road and Brentfield, along withnew and improved cycle and pedestriancrossings over Harrow Road and theNorth Circular Road

The trial will last between 12 and 18
months, and you can provide feedbackon the Experimental Traffic Orders in thenext six months by emailing the council.

• Improved quiet road cycle connections
between Wembley Central andHarlesden stations• Pedestrian routes with a new crossing
over Brentfield, near Bridge Park
Community Leisure Centre, and more
direct crossings at the North CircularRoad junction

Changes proposed on the Southbank

The consultation closes on 21 December.

7

Driving seat

Chelsea Pensioner Mike Smith

September thrills by land and air
What an exciting month September was for a group of WWII
veterans, proving you’re never too old to go on an adventure
Smith, who served with the Royal Army
Service Corps as an Air Despatcher, as
he donned a flight helmet and took to theskies in a Spitfire. Charity ambassador
and vitamin entrepreneur Johnny
Gallagher generously paid for the event.

On 12 September, the Taxi Charity took agroup of veterans to Biggin Hill airfield.
Here they were shown round the Heritage
Hangar used for Spitfire restoration
projects. The day proved especially
exciting for Chelsea Pensioner Mike

8Driving seat

Veterans
enjoyed two
fun-filled days
courtesy of theTaxi Charity

Brian Heffernan, London cab driverand Chairman of the Taxi Charity for
Military Veterans said: ‘Events like thisare a wonderful way for veterans to get
together to talk with those who have
similar life experiences. The pandemic
coupled with the cost of living crisis has
left thousands of charities, including
ours, with many fundraising challenges
and we are so grateful that our young
ambassador Johnny Gallagher offered tocover all the costs for this event.’

Among the veterans attending were six
Chelsea Pensioners, with Mike Smith,
who was having a pretty spectacular
September, once again taking part.
Commenting on both events, he said:‘What a couple of weeks I have had. First
there was the event at Biggin Hill and I
got to fly in a Spitfire, and then today I
have been whizzed around the race trackat high speeds and had great fun on theskid pan. What a wonderful treat and I
am extremely grateful to the Taxi Charity
for Military Veterans for making it all
happen. An unforgettable fortnight.’

The charity, in conjunction with Mission
Motorsport, then hosted another event
later in September at Goodwood race
course. Here, veterans were given theopportunity to sit in the passenger seatand race around the track in a range ofsports cars including BMW, Audi, Ferrari
and Aston Martin.

Taxi drivers who want to find out moreshould contact the Taxi Charity for Military
Veterans direct.

9

Driving seat

Driver Micky Harris's taxi advertising the Unify app

All united on the taxi front
London taxi driver, Micky Harris has beenrecognised by Prime Minister Rishi Sunakfor his exceptional contribution to society
and awarded the Points of Light award.

The app is now supported by more than
2,000 taxi drivers and by choosing to ridewith drivers on this platform, passengers
can contribute to various worthy causes.

Micky used a legacy from his late wife
Barbara, to create a taxi app called
Unify, which not only provides drivers
with the full metered fare but also
donates its profits to charities.

Micky Harris said: 'It really is such anhonour to receive the Points of Light
award from the Prime Minister's office.
'What we need now is for every cab driverto sign up to the Unify app; it doesn’t cost
drivers anything to be part of this and byworking together we can all achieve somuch more in life. I truly believe that weare all ‘stronger together’ and the Unify
London app will give us the unity we needto succeed.’

Micky and his wife Barbara had taken
many people to Taxi Charity for Military
Veterans' events across the UK, theNetherlands and France, and when
Barbara’s health was worsening, they
discussed the idea for an app for the taxi
trade in London. Sadly, Barbara died inJuly 2022, but with an unexpected legacy
Micky successfully launched the Unify taxi
app in April.

Drivers interested in signing up should
contact the Unify London app direct.

10

Driving seat

TPH licensing
in numbers
17,692

Taxi drivers

15,885

Taxi vehicle licences

106,124

Private hire driver licences
Legislation is being brought in to regulate pedicabs

91,656

Private hire vehicle licences

Regulating London's
pedicab services

1,712

After years of complaints about rogue
pedicab drivers overcharging passengers
and blocking roads and pavements byparking illegally, the Government's Pedicabs(London) Bill was finally announced in theKing’s Speech in November.
A TfL spokesperson said: 'Pedicabs are theonly form of unregulated transport in London,
and as such impact the safety of the capital’sroad network, as well as customers being
charged well-documented rip-off fares. As they
are unregulated, drivers and vehicles have notundergone any checks, which could potentiallymean an increased danger to pedicab
customers and other road users. TfL and theMayor have been lobbying for regulation inthis area for many years and we support the
introduction of new legislation which will allow
pedicabs to be regulated to improve safety.'11

Private hire operators

Drivers at
King’s Cross
take care
Private hire drivers picking up
passengers at King’s Cross areadvised to be extra vigilant. TPH
operations officers have observeda group of young males attempting
to grab suitcases from the boots ofvehicles as they drive off. If you’ve
witnessed or been the victim ofcrime please report it to the police.
Please call 999 in an emergency.

Driving seat

Taxi rank news

The taxi rank at the O2 Arena

Road works
Manor Circus
Until spring 2024, there will be aseries of lane closures and traffic
management affecting each arm of
the Manor Circus roundabout. Thisis owing to essential maintenanceworks. Closures are now taking placeon the south side of the junction
between Manor Road and A316
Lower Mortlake Road. The mostimpactful works are expected to becompleted by the end of December.
Millbank
Millbank will be closed in both
directions for a crane operation on
Sunday 7 January, 08:00 until 18:00.
The O2 Arena, North GreenwichComplaints have been received thattaxis are causing an obstruction by
waiting on double yellow lines andthe disabled parking bays at the topof Monro Way during event nights at
the O2 Arena. Taxis should not pickup passengers here, but instead use
the dedicated, marshalled taxi rank,
accessed via Millennium Way.

Victoria bus station/Terminus Place
Until 22 December, there will be a complete
closure of Victoria bus station and Terminus
Place from Buckingham Palace Road andWilton Road. This means the first portion oftaxi rank on the station forecourt will also
be closed. Boards will be in place to advise
passengers the Wilton Road feeder rank
will act as the main taxi rank and pick-up
point for passengers from Victoria Station.
The loading bay on Buckingham Palace
Road will be suspended so taxis can safely
pick up passengers who have accessibility
needs there.
Upper Richmond Road
Until 20 May 2024, there will be nightly
closures from 21:00 until 06:00 of Upper
Richmond Road between its junctions
with Putney High Street/Putney Hill and
Manfred Road. During these closures, therank outside 151/153 Upper RichmondRoad will not be accessible.
Kingston
While Cromwell Road bus station is
temporarily closed until July next year,
10m of the rank at Wood Street (South),
Kingston, will be suspended to make way
for a single bus stand.
South Kensington
Every Saturday until July next year, thesecond portion of the rank at Harrington
Road (South Kensington station), will besuspended between 07:00 and 09:00, andagain from 13:30 to 14:45. This is so a pit
lane can be created for market traders toload and unload at the farmers’ market
situated on Queensway.

12

In the headlights

In the headlights

The trip of a lifetime
Every year in September, the Magical Taxi Tour takeschildren with life-threatening illnesses on a three-day
trip to Disneyland Paris. OnRoute talked to one family
who participated this year and the driver who took them.
13

In the headlights

Ahmed, Helen Chapman, Theo, Freya and Tony

The trip is organised annually by the
Worshipful Company of Hackney
Carriage Drivers, starting with the Grand
Depart at Canary Wharf before heading
across the channel into France. Whenrunning, it’s an incredible sight with morethan 100 taxis, City of London Police
escorts, Gendarmerie Nationale, London
Ambulance NHS Trust vehicles and AA
breakdown trucks stretching out for morethan three miles.

FX taxi was sponsored by funds raisedby the Licensing and Regulation team at
TfL and Helen Chapman, TfL’s Director ofLicensing and Regulation, met everyone
to chat about their experience andhand over gifts from London Transport
Museum, including model taxis.
Ahmed was a delivery driver before
getting his badge last year. He’d nevereven heard of the Magical Taxi Tour
until the day he stopped his cab behind
another, which had an advert for the tour
on its rear bumper. Intrigued, he googled
it and as the father of two young sonshimself, rang the charity and volunteered.
‘I was keen to help,’ he explains, ‘and I
was so very happy to get Tony and his
family as my passengers. The time I
spent with them was wonderful.

None of this would happen without thetaxi drivers, who give their time and useof their taxis for free, and sponsors who
fund the £1,500 per taxi necessary tomeet the expenses of hotel, fuel, foodand admission charges.
A few weeks after this year’s tour, driver
Ahmed Kasabali and the family hetook on the trip, consisting of dad Tony
Matharu, daughter Freya, 13, and son
Theo, 9, were reunited at the Knowledge
of London offices at Pier Walk. Ahmed’s‘On this kind of trip, where you will be
driving with someone for long hours,
it’s important to have a positive personwith you because they will be with you

14

In the headlights

for three days. I feel like the luckiest
driver on the whole tour to have had Tonyand his family with me. It felt as if we had
known each other for years.’

The family had never been to Disneyland
and were a little overwhelmed by thewhole experience, including the journey
there and back.

Tony, who describes himself as the‘biggest kid in the family’, had also neverheard about the tour and it was while
his daughter Freya was undergoingtreatment at the Royal Marsden Hospitalthat he was first approached aboutit. He recalls: ‘A person from one of
the cancer charities said going on the
Magical Taxi Tour could be a possibility.
I don’t remember registering for it, but
the charity said they would take care ofit and our names were put forward andwe were made aware this could happen. I
thought it would just be a normal trip, but
my wife showed us photos from previous
years and I suddenly realised this is sucha huge thing and very exciting.’

Although Freya is more of a Marvel fan
than Disney, she really enjoyed all the
rides at Disneyland and the huge party
held there on the last night in Paris. She
also loved Ahmed’s TX electric taxi with
its panoramic roof and doors that open
like a Bentley’s.
Freya's younger brother Theo had neverbeen on a rollercoaster before andalthough initially slightly nervous, is now
a big fan. He was also very keen on theMickey Mouse-shaped pancakes servedat the Grand Depart at the beginning of
the trip, although not so much on the very
early start from Canary Wharf.

The family and Ahmed at the Grand Depart15

In the headlights

All smiles from Ahmed, Theo and Freya

The long way down

Ahmed, you made it worthwhile, youropenness, your love. The day after wegot back it wasn’t the same because you
weren’t there.’

It’s a long drive to Paris from Canary
Wharf, but as Ahmed explains, it is very
well organised with breaks every twohours or so. ‘One of the highlights for me
was when the convoy stopped at a petrol
station in Paris,’ he says. ‘Normally, youjust stop for fuel and maybe a coffee, buthere there were bands, music and people
in costumes, and free food and presents
to welcome the children. Everyone was so
excited to see us, it was so lovely.’

Ahmed replies: ‘When I joined the firstday and saw that this family was going
to be my family, it was wonderful. It wassuch a lovely weekend, maybe some of
the loveliest days of my life.’
Tony, who is a behavioural specialist
working in a school in Kent, says that at
the Grand Depart many of the taxi drivers
mistook him for a driver as well. When hetold them he wasn’t they said he reallyshould be. He is now considering whether
he should start doing the Knowledge andAhmed has already offered to lend him
his blue book.

Tony also says getting to Disneyland wasjust as good as being there. ‘It madeus feel very special to see all of theoutriders and the French traffic police
almost dancing with their semaphorelike arm directions. We were treated likeroyalty. We had a few conversations
with locals and other drivers and they
were asking us ‘what is going on?’ It was
priceless to us and so nice to have been
given this opportunity. We want to thankAhmed from the bottom of all our hearts.

Having met Ahmed and the family, Helen
Chapman said: ‘Being able to sponsor ataxi at the Magical Taxi Tour and attend
the big send off at Canary Wharf is ahugely emotional experience. I felt so

16

In the headlights

Watch out Mickey, here we comehugely emotional experience. I felt so
privileged to meet the warrior Freya, herbrother Theo and dad Tony, and they
were immediately so welcoming that I
felt I had known them for years. It washeart-warming and infectious to see their
excitement and I felt humbled to standand wave them and all the other families
off on a trip of a lifetime.

‘I was so pleased they all agreed tocome in and have a chat with us about
their experience after the trip, and weeven managed to introduce them to our
Commissioner, Andy Lord. It was great
seeing Ahmed reconnect with some of
the Knowledge examiners that put him
through his paces and they had a chatwith Tony about the Knowledge too, so
who knows – perhaps one year in the
future we will be sponsoring a cab that
Tony is driving!’‘To meet Ahmed was also so heartening.
A newly qualified driver with a young
family of his own and giving up his timeto help this wonderful charity – a true
inspiration. Seeing the convoy of black
cabs leaving and the excited smiles andwaving never fails to reduce me to tears
and this year it was all the more special
having spent time with them all.

The next trip will be on 20 September
2024 and Licensing and Regulation ishoping to sponsor two taxis for thisouting. If you feel you could help in any
way at all, contact the charity direct.

17

Green zone

Green zone
Everything you need to know about making
London a clean, green, carbon-free city

Tyre technology is helping cut emissions p19

p19 New tyre technology
p22 Making public charging easier
p23 Training electric charger installers

18

Green zone

Time tothink about
your tyres
Could switching the tyres on your electricvehicle save fuel, money and the environment?
air quality as it increases the amountof particulate matter and microplastic
pollution produced.

A recent report, produced by tyre
manufacturer ENSO LTD and TfL’s London
FreightLab, has shown how tyres canaffect the performance and pollution
levels produced by an electric vehicle.

ENSO’s solution is to produce better,more energy efficient and more durable
tyres for electric vehicles, which produce
less harmful tyre dust than standard
types. The technology is designed tosignificantly reduce the environmental
impact by extending the range andenergy efficiency of electric vehicles,
while offering drivers value for money.

Although electric vehicles are betterfor the environment in terms of cutting
emissions from exhaust pipes, they dowear through tyres at a faster rate thanthose with combustion engines, owing totheir increased weight because of theirbattery pack. This negatively impacts

19

Green zone

The trial lasted 15 months and the data
confirmed electric vehicles wear tyres ata faster rate than their corresponding
internal combustion engine vehicles andcheaper, budget tyres wear faster andare more inefficient than premium tyres.

The tyres are made from high grade raw
materials that greatly reduce the quantity
and toxicity of harmful particulate matteremissions current tyres release.
ENSO’s tyres are already rolling on
LEVC’s TX taxis, offering drivers more
electric vehicle range at competitive
prices, while also reducing tyre pollution.

• ENSO tyres achieved better energy
efficiency - up to 10 per cent against all
benchmark tyres in the trial

The trial and results
Through London FreightLab, ENSO
worked with TfL in collaboration
with partners DPD and Royal Mail
to test the performance of the tyres.

• The tyres also achieved carbon dioxidesavings by using less electricity per mile

Gunnlaugur Erlendsson founded ENSO in 201620

Green zone

ENSO tyres are already fitted to LEVC's TX taxis

in the Clean Our Air category of theprestigious Earthshot Prize. Gunnlaugursays: ‘Being a finalist for The Earthshot
Prize not only supercharged our ability toraise awareness of harmful particulate
emissions from tyres, but also accelerate
ENSO's mission to put better tyres on theroad faster, and help clean our air.

• In one instance, the ENSO tyredemonstrated a 35 per cent reduction
in total particulate matter emissions
compared to a premium tyre
Driving on
Overall, the London FreightLab project
was important in demonstrating how
enabling better tyre solutions, as well as
regulating tyre pollution, is important totackle both air and microplastic pollution.

‘By making more efficient and lesspolluting tyres, ENSO seeks to ensurethat electric vehicles are successful,
reduce their harmful tyre pollution andhelp build a greener, more sustainable
future for us all.’Gunnlaugur Erlendsson founded ENSO
in 2016 and was delighted this year
when the company became a finalist

21

Green zone

Public charging is being simplified

More power to your charger
Technology and Decarbonisation Minister,Jesse Norman MP, said: ‘These new
regulations will improve electric vehicle
charging for millions of drivers, helping
them find the charge points they want,
providing price transparency so they cancompare the cost of different charging
options, and updating payment methods.

In October, MPs approved new laws
making charging electric vehicles atpublic chargers easier and more reliable.
New regulations will ensure that prices
across charge points are transparent
and easy to compare, and that a large
proportion of new public charge points
will have contactless payment options.

‘They will make the switch to electriceasier for drivers, support the economy
and help the UK reach its 2035 goals.’

Providers will have to open up theirdata for apps and in-vehicle software,
making it easier for drivers to check theircharging speeds and locations.

22

Green zone

Charging on
the cheap
Two energy firms are now offering reducedpriced tariffs for charging electric vehicles.
‘Pod Point EV Exclusive’ EDF’s new energy deal,
is only available to customers who buy a Pod
Point charger and is for domestic and electricvehicle charging energy combined. It offers
cheap off-peak rates of 7.4p per kWh to power
your electric car and home appliances andcould save customers up to £160 a year.
Meanwhile, OVO energy supplier has reduced
the price of its home electric vehicle charging
plan ‘Charge Anytime’ by 30 per cent.
It now offers a rate of 7p per kWh, meaningelectric vehicle owners can drive for less than
3p per mile and acquire a year’s worth ofdriving for just £190.
Mat Moakes, Chief Commercial Officer at OVO,
said: ‘The government may have delayed theban on sales of petrol and diesel cars, but with
Charge Anytime making it 75 per cent cheaper
to run an EV than a petrol car, there’s neverbeen a better time to make the switch.’

Getting more charge for your money

23

Training electric charger installers

Equipped forthe future
As the drive to electric vehicles
gathers pace, the need for
qualified electric charger
installers also grows. London
South Bank Technical College
in Nine Elms, is now piloting
a course on installing electricvehicle charging points.
Funded by Shell, in
partnership with City and
Guilds, the six-week course ispart of a four-year electricalapprenticeship. There’s also
a six-day programme offered
to fourth-year apprentices
as a bolt-on to their originalcollege training course. Up to
36 apprentices will be able toacquire the skills needed to
install and maintain electricvehicle chargers. Trainees
who successfully complete
the six-day programme will
be qualified to work on Shellelectric vehicle projects.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing
Fit to face the future

Better choices for better health

p25 Top swaps for a healthier life
p29 Wellbeing support services

24

Wellbeing

Savvy health swaps
This year, instead of making hard New Year resolutions you know
you’ll have broken by the middle of January, why not introduce
some of these gentler ‘swaps’ into your lifestyle and diet.
wiser choices at breakfast, lunch anddinner can really impact your health in agood way.

You’ll be surprised at what a big
difference these small changes can makeand even better, most of them won’t costyou a penny.

What you are aiming for is to reduce thesalt, sugar and saturated fats in yourdiet. That doesn’t mean you have to exist
on nothing but salad, but on nutritious,
healthy and above all tasty ingredients.

Food swaps
Many of us get into a rut when it comesto what we eat and drink, making thesame choices over and again. But making

25

Wellbeing

Breakfast
There are many good reasons to makesure you don’t skip breakfast. Studies
have shown eating a healthy breakfast
replenishes your energy and nutrient
levels. This can help you manage yourweight and reduce your risk of Type 2
diabetes and heart disease.

Clive Johnston

But don’t opt for a full English, sugary
breakfast cereals or butter-ladencroissants or pan au chocolat. Instead,go to work on a boiled egg andwholewheat toast, or a warming bowlof porridge oats made with skimmed
milk. These will release their energy more
slowly, making you feel fuller for longer.
You could try no added sugar wheatbased breakfast cereals with a sliced
banana for sweetness. Natural yoghurt(especially those with live cultures)
topped with chopped fruit is also easy to
prepare and full of goodness.

This could be a nice juicy apple, orange or
pear, a small handful of dried fruit suchas raisins or apricots, or raw, unsalted
nuts such as walnuts, cashews oralmonds. Raw vegetable sticks including
carrot and celery are packed withvitamins and can be teamed with a low
fat hummus dip. What you drink is just as
important as what you eat so steer clearof fizzy drinks that can be sugar-heavy
and opt for water, fruit teas, no-addedsugar fruit drinks or tea and coffee madewith skimmed milk.

SnacksIf you’ve been driving in your vehicle
for long hours and start to feel peckish
it’s easy to reach for conveniencesnacks such as chocolate or cake bars,
crisps, salted peanuts or sugar-packed
doughnuts and biscuits. Why not makesure you have healthier options with you,which are just as easy to keep to hand.

Just have another cuppa
following 12,000 people over 20
years, found coffee and tea lovers(drinking anything from two to four
cups a day) were significantly lesslikely to be frail in their 70s.

A new study has shown thatmoderate consumption of tea,coffee or any drink containing
caffeine can significantly affecthealth in a good way. The study by
the National University of Singapore

26

Wellbeing

The NHS has some great information on
its website about simple ways you can
improve your dietGet moving
Instead of buying that expensive gym
membership you only ever use once or
twice before giving up, why not try someof these quick and easy ways of getting
more exercise into your days. Even better,
many won’t cost you a penny!
Five easy ways to get on the move thatwill cost you nothing• Go for a walk
• Climb the stairs instead of taking theescalator or lift

Lunch and dinner
When you are out and about all day, it’s
tempting to opt for convenience foods
such as takeaways for lunch. However,
burgers, pizzas, pasties and fries are
all laden with fat and often have a very
high salt content. A much better option
would be a low-fat, low-salt wholemeal
sandwich or pitta bread, filled withprotein such as chicken and salad, or ahearty vegetable soup. If you do have a
cooked lunch watch out for condiments
such as soy sauce and ketchup which arefull of hidden sugars and salt.

• Walk up and down escalators rather
than standing still• Get on your bike, if you have one, andgo for a ride
• Download a free exercise app or video
Getting more walking into your daily
regime is a great way to increase yourexercise levels. Research shows that just
two ten-minute walks a day is all it takes
to improve your health and wellbeing.
Benefits of walking include getting abetter night’s sleep and feeling morerelaxed. Walking regularly can alsosignificantly reduce the risk of developinga range of health problems, including
Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain
types of cancer, depression, anxiety andAlzheimer’s disease. So, what are you
waiting for; switch on the pedometer app
on your phone, leave the car at home andwalk the children to school, walk to the
local shops and back or have a brisk walkround a park or other green open space.

The same is true of your last meal before
you go to sleep. Try to keep it light withplenty of fresh vegetables, especially
if you are eating before going to bed.
Choose high protein foods over highcarbohydrate foods such as grilled
chicken, lean meat, fish, beans or lentils.
These foods give a slower release ofenergy and help you to stay full for
longer, meaning you won’t wake in thenight feeling hungry and tempted to raid
the fridge.

27

Wellbeing

There are loads of free exercise apps
around and free exercise videos on
YouTube. You just choose what suits you
the best. It could be anything from fullbody workouts to a cardio routine, yoga
to Pilates and even Tai Chi, and the greatthing is many are geared to really hecticschedules with workouts taking just 20
minutes to complete.
Free from the Apple app store is 5 MinuteYoga. Don’t worry if you’ve never done
yoga before as this is ideal for beginners
as it features clear images of each posealong with detailed instructions.
You could try the 7 Minute Workout. Thisapp is used by more than three million
people in 19 different countries and canbe done at an intensity suitable for yourown fitness levels.
Or why not join the Nike Training Club
app? This features more than 200
workouts you can do at home, in the gym,or outdoors. The sessions last from five tofifty minutes so you can pick somethingideal for the spare time you have.

To get you started on a healthier diet andexercise regime, sign up to receive thefree fortnightly Heart Matters newsletterfrom the British Heart Foundation. It’s
packed with recipes, activity ideas andexpert tips for managing your health.

Could you run 5k?
If you think running is not for you,the Couch to 5k challenge couldchange your mind. The Couch to
5k app from the NHS slowly builds
up your stamina over the courseof nine weeks, encouraging you
to get up from the sofa and getmoving. Each week involves justthree runs, starting with 20 minutesof exercise that alternates 60
seconds of running with 90 seconds
of walking. Encouragement isgiven throughout each workout by
your choice of celebrity voiceover
including Jo Whiley, Sarah Millican orMichael Johnson. The app is free todownload and is available for both
iPhones and Android.

28

Wellbeing

If stress is affecting your mental andphysical health, many of the services
below offer chat lines where you can talkyour worries through with someone.

Mental health and wellbeing
support services
SANE
info@sane.org.uk
0300 304 7000
Open every day from 16:30 to 22:30

CALM
0808 802 58 58
Open 17:00 to midnight, 365 days a year
Stress Management Society (SMS)0203 142 8650

Rethink Mental Illness
advice@rethink.org
0300 5000 927

BBC Headroom

Mind
info@mind.org.uk
0300 123 3393
Open 09:00 to 18:00 Monday to Friday
except Bank Holidays (calls charged at
local rate)

RoSPA driver safety
Information on driving fatigue and theimportance of not driving when tired
UK Active
020 8158 9700

29

Security

Security
Safety information for both drivers and passengers

Making travel in London as safe as possible

p31 Out on paw patrol
p35 Safer Travel at Night30

Security

Paw patrol
Two new recruits are helping to identify drivers
refusing to accept assistance dogs
Investigations officer Darren Garrett
explains: ‘We now have golden retriever
Faldo and Dave from Guide Dogs
UK, and Martha and her dog River
accompanying us on operations.

Although it is against the law to refuse
or charge a passenger more to carryan assistance dog, TPH’s investigations
officers are still finding drivers who
attempt to do so. That’s why they carryout regular operations to make suredrivers are obeying the law and they now
have two new, eager, four-pawed recruits
helping them.

‘Back in May, Dave and Faldo assisted
us with some compliance testing aroundthe Shepherds Bush area. We placed six

31Security

around the Liverpool Street area. Fromthe bookings we made we had two noncompliant drivers. One driver is being
considered for prosecution and one ishaving his licence reviewed.’
Lesley Haggerty, Operations Officer,
was on this operation and takes up thestory. ‘River is a Novia Scotia duck tolling
retriever, commonly known as ‘Tollers’. We
booked seven journeys in total throughvarious app-based private hire operatorsand one driver, on arrival, insisted Martha
book and pay a premium on a different
platform that accepts pets, even after
Martha explained that her dog is anassistance dog.
‘Another driver agreed to take thebooking that confirmed the passenger
had ‘limited mobility’, then cancelled one
minute from arrival when learning Martha
was travelling with an assistance dog.

Martha with her assistance dog Riverbookings with various private hire
operators and one driver refused to carry
Dave and Faldo. This case was sent to the
Licensing team to consider the driver’s
fitness to remain licensed. There wasa second driver who was reprimanded
for not offering sufficient assistance.
Although he did not refuse to take Daveand Faldo, he did not make an effort tohelp the passenger.

'It was such an important lesson to learn;
to see how anxious and upsetting it is
to have to explain and validate yourself
when refused a ride. I want to thank all
involved, especially Martha and River.
There were plenty of pigeons in the Cityof London that day, but sadly no ducks
for River to toll!’
Darren is now putting plans in place toorganise an Equality Act awareness week
in the New Year. Although all drivers
are given information on the Equality
Act 2010, he believes more education isneeded and the awareness week would
be a way to get the message across.

‘Martha is a member of the public who
has agreed to assist us on operations
along with her assistance dog River, as
she recognises the importance of thework we do and is keen to help us makea difference. Martha has mobility issues
and River helps her retrieve things andassists in keeping momentum when
walking and on taking the stairs.

The responsibilities for taxi and private
hire drivers and operators are set out
in the Taxi and Private Hire Vehicles(Disabled Persons) Act 2022, as set out in
TPH Notice 08/22.

‘Martha and River joined us for a dayof compliance testing in August in and32

Security

Assistance dogs and the law• Taxi and private hire drivers can't refuse
a passenger because they have an
assistance dog• Passengers can't be charged more fora taxi or private hire journey because
they have an assistance dog• Assistance dogs must be seated with
their owners at all times• It's illegal to refuse to carry apassenger with an assistance dog.
Drivers doing so could risk prosecution,
losing their licence or face a fineDave with his assistance dog Faldo

There are different types of assistancedogs providing a wide range of support
to older and disabled people. Taxi drivers,
private hire operators and drivers should
be aware some passengers who havea health condition that is not obvious
or visible may still have an assistancedog. TfL has a poster (below) and leaflet
available containing more information on
assistance dogs.

Data results for prosecutions(April 2023 to 20 November 2023)
Private hire drivers refusing tofulfil a booking accepted by anoperator owing to the presenceof an assistance dog

Victim Surcharge - £2,407
Compensation - £1,350
Total - £14,251

Total cases of refusals reported
116

Warning in lieu of prosecution 1
Referred to licencing for a fitness
review 41

Successfully prosecuted 16
Resulting in:

No further action taken 28(owing to insufficient evidence or
victim unsubstantiated)

Fines - £6,899
Costs - £3,595

Ongoing cases 30

33

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Security

A safer night in Shoreditch
TfL’s Safer Travel at Night (STaN) campaign is now being joinedby other initiatives aimed at getting everyone home safely
vulnerability engagement sessions withmembers of staff and security from thenight-time economy industry, and at
various monthly Pubwatch meetings.

Back in September, Operations Manager
Perry Kissin, along with AssistantOperations Manager Satnam Padum,
joined a Deputy Assistant Commissioner
from the Metropolitan Police Service,
local councillors and media at Tabernacle
Street for the launch of ‘don’t cross theline’. This initiative has been put in placeas Shoreditch has been identified as a
hot spot for violence against women andgirls, and related offences.

On the night Perry and Satnam
attended, a mobile media vehicle wasalso out and about displaying safety
messages, and TPH operations officers
were focusing on taxis and private
hire vehicles. Plain clothes officers
were on foot patrol actively seeking
out vulnerable members of the public,
particularly females, and intervening tooffer assistance in the form of reuniting
separated friends and/or assisting safe
passage to transport hubs.

The local authorities and police have beenworking hard with venues to push the ‘Ask
for Angela’ campaign and the Operation
RANA (drink spiking) initiatives. They
do this by holding monthly welfare and35

Security

Perry was also on duty at the end of
the STaN campaign in October. ‘It wasa great opportunity to go out with
Westminster Night Stars volunteers anddeliver the STaN message collaboratively,’
he says. ‘The Night Stars are a group of
volunteers who provide wider support toanyone who becomes vulnerable owing
to intoxication. This is to reduce the risk
to their safety or prevent them becoming
victims of crime. The volunteers handout water to those needing sobering up,
flipflops to those unable to walk in highheels and carry phone chargers for thoseunable to reach friends or family.

‘Since launching the national campaign
to end violence against women and girls,
we have trained our officers on how tochallenge perpetrators and mobilise
bystanders to safely disrupt the abuse of
women and girls. Promoting the safetyof women, girls and vulnerable people iscore to our STaN campaign. We ensurethat our officers are highly visible at highprofile locations to prevent and deter any
unwanted behaviours.
‘During our August STaN campaign,
we deployed more than 125 officers toessential STaN operations, coveringa total of 133 locations based on
information we received from the trades
and other stakeholders. As part of thiscampaign, we engaged with more than
3,400 customers and drivers, and visited
100 private hire operating centres to raiseawareness of the campaign.

‘At the same time, officers Ian Lambert,
Mursi Abdalla and Amoz Abraham fromour night team were delivering our STAN
message to the public and passengers,
as well as checking vehicles. We also
had with us Steve Garelick from GMB
union to not only see the work we do withNight Stars but also to help us deliver thesafety message to drivers. Thank you toeveryone involved and everyone who has
helped deliver the STaN message.’‘Licensed drivers' safety is equallyimportant and our officers raiseawareness among taxi and private hire
drivers to ensure they also stay safe whileworking. This is done via engagement
and making drivers aware of the Staysafe while working leaflet.’Babatunde Owolabi-Ajao, Senior
Operations Manager, said: ‘We arecommitted to working with our police
partners and local authorities to continue
to promote the safety of women and girls.

And the award goes to…
Congratulations to Operations Manager
Perry Kissin, who was presented with two
TfL You Matter awards in November. The
Colleague award and People’s Choiceaward were handed over by Transport

Commissioner Andy Lord at a ceremony
at London Transport Museum. The
awards were for Perry’s work to develop
the skills of TPH's night officers andassistant operation managers.

36

The manual

The manual
Tips, advice and policy updates from TfL
TPH Notice 07/23

Improving safety for taxi andprivate hire vehicle passengers
consultation outcome
In July 2020, the Department forTransport (DfT) introduced new StatutoryStandards to enhance passenger safety
for taxi and private hire vehicle services.
These standards are especially focusedon the safeguarding of children andvulnerable adults, with broader benefits
for all passengers.

Part 2 – sought respondents' views on
how TfL can make taxis safer.

Most of the Statutory Standards are
already in place in London, but there aresome that were subject to consultation as
we sought feedback on how we propose
to implement them. Between 27 Februaryand 12 May 2023, TfL consulted on
proposed changes to taxi and private hirelicensing requirements to further improvetaxi and private hire passenger safety.
The safety consultation was structured inthree sections:

Consultation outcome
A decision has been taken and anumber of regulations were signed on
10 November 2023. The regulations
have been published here. We haveprioritised the proposals in Part 1 of theconsultation, to ensure that we implement
the remaining DfT Statutory Standards atthe earliest opportunity.

Part 3 – sought respondents' views on
additional proposals to make private
hire services safer. We have analysed
the consultation responses and havepublished a report on the consultation.

We intend to consider the responses
in relation to Part 2 and 3 of theconsultation in early 2024 and willcommunicate the next steps for theseparts of the consultation separately.

Part 1 – sought respondents' views
on how TfL intends to introduce theremaining Statutory Standards.

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The manual

The table in Appendix 1 provides detailsof how this will be introduced for taxi
drivers, private hire drivers and private
hire operators.

What this means
Following our consideration of theconsultation responses to Part 1 ofthe consultation, we are introducing
a number of changes. These changes
will be introduced through a mixture of
new or amended regulations, licenceconditions and application requirements.
A summary of the changes is below andfurther details on the implementation ofthese changes is provided in Appendix 1.

DfT 2 – Displaying complaints signage
We are proceeding with a requirement for
all licensed taxis and private hire vehicles
to display prescribed information in thevehicle, including information about how
to make a complaint to TfL.

Where the new requirements for taxi andprivate hire drivers are different, this isa result of the differences in taxi andprivate hire legislation.

This requirement will take effect from 1
July 2024 when TfL will affix new signage
into vehicles as part of the vehicle
licensing inspection process.

Mandating the DBS Update service(DfT 4 – Driver DBS checks) is the mostsignificant in terms of enhancing safety,
and so has been prioritised to takeeffect from 26 February 2024. All otherstandards are more interrelated and so
will take effect together from 1 July 2024,
except for the driver requirement in DfT
2 (Displaying complaints signage) which
will follow in July 2025, and the Safety,
Equality and Regulatory Understanding(SERU) requirement for taxi drivers (DfT
5 – SERU and English language skills),
which will take effect from 1 October
2025. These dates will allow the taxi andprivate hire industries time to prepare forthe changes.

We are also proceeding with therequirement that a taxi or private hire
driver must ensure that any taxi or
private hire vehicle they are driving isdisplaying the prescribed signage.
This requirement will take effect from 1
July 2025.
The table in Appendix 1 provides detailsof how this will be introduced for taxi
drivers and private hire drivers.
DfT 3 – Overseas criminal checks
We have amended the proposal in the
consultation and are proceeding with arequirement that all new and renewing
taxi and private hire drivers, and private
hire operators, who have lived in acountry other than the UK for one ormore continuous periods of three months
or more in the last 10 years since theapplicant was 18, will be required toprovide a Certificate of Good Conduct(CoCG) for any such period. This includes
periods of extended holiday.

DfT 1 – Licensee self-reporting
We are proceeding with a requirement
for licensees to inform us of any arrest
and release, charge, caution or conviction
within 48 hours. This requirement will takeeffect from 1 July 2024. This is a slight
modification of the consultation proposal
to explicitly re-state that cautions areincluded (as per the current requirement).

This requirement will take effect from 1
July 2024.

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The manual

As part of our current requirement
for applicants for taxi and PHV driver
licences to provide CoGCs, we havemeasures in place that recognise thoseoccasions when a CoGC cannot be
obtained.

consultation.
DfT 7 – Private hire operator DBS
checksWe are proceeding with a requirementthat all new and renewing private hire
operator applicants will be required toprovide a basic DBS check as part oftheir application. We are also proceedingwith a requirement that all licensed
private hire operators must provide afurther basic DBS check annually, on theanniversary of the start of the licence.

DfT 4 – Driver DBS checks
We are proceeding with a requirementthat all applicants for a taxi or private
hire driver’s licence, both new andrenewal, will be required to provide
evidence of registration with the DBS
Update service.

This requirement will take effect from 1
July 2024.

We are also proceeding with arequirement that from the point they
are next licensed, all taxi and private
hire drivers must maintain continuous
subscription to the DBS Update service.

DfT 8 – Private hire operator booking
and dispatch staff
We are proceeding with a requirementthat private hire operators will be
required to keep and maintain a registerof booking and dispatch staff, andwill be required to retain entries in theregister for 12 months from the date
any individual was last available to takebookings or dispatch vehicles.

This requirement will take effect from 26
February 2024.
DfT 5 – Safeguarding training andEnglish language skills
We are proceeding with a requirementthat taxi drivers will be required topass a Safety, Equality and Regulatory
Understanding assessment.

This requirement will take effect from 1
July 2024.
DfT 9 – Private hire operator booking
records
We are proceeding with making anamendment to Regulation 11 of the
Operator Regulations to specify that
additional particulars must be enteredinto a private hire operator’s booking
records.

This requirement will take effect from 1
October 2025.
Taxi drivers’ English language proficiency
will continue to be assessed throughthe Knowledge of London. There will
be no change to the English language
and Safety, Equality and Regulatory
Understanding assessments already inplace for private hire drivers.

This requirement will take effect from 1
July 2024.

DfT 6 – Vehicle owner DBS checks
We will not be introducing any additional
requirements for either taxi or private
hire vehicle owners, as set out in our

DfT 10 – Changing licensing policies
and requirements
We are proceeding with an amendment

39

The manual

to our licensing policies and requirements
that, where appropriate, when there arechanges in licensing requirements, we will
review the licences already issued andwherever possible, we will apply any new
licensing policies immediately.

including a taxi driver handbook, will
be issued in advance of this dateto assist taxi driver applicants andexisting licensed drivers to prepare forthe assessments. We will communicate
further information about all the changes
to all licensees as and when guidance
and advice becomes available. We will
also be including further information in
our weekly emails to licensees. If you do
not already receive these and would liketo sign up to receive updates, then pleaseemail tph.enquiries@tfl.gov.uk

Next steps
We will now begin the implementation
process for these changes. In
determining the implementation dates,
we have taken into account the responses
to the consultation, the findings of theIntegrated Impact Assessment and theimpact the changes will have on taxi andprivate hire applicants and licensees.

We will also post all relevant informationon our website. If you need further
guidance, having looked at the
information on our website, please email
us at tph.enquiries@tfl.gov.uk

For most of these changes no immediate
action is required by licensees at thisstage. However, the first requirement to
be introduced will be the DBS Update
service, which will come into effect from26 February 2024. Any taxi or private
hire driver who is renewing their licenceshould register with the DBS Update
service when applying for their enhanced
DBS check. Guidance will be issued in the
coming weeks to help taxi drivers andprivate hie drivers to prepare for this new
requirement. From later this year, newapplication packs sent out by TfL will
include an insert informing drivers how tosign up for the DBS Update service whenrequesting an up-to-date enhanced DBS
check.

Graham Robinson
General Manager
Taxi and Private Hire

The majority of the remaining standards
will be implemented on 1 July 2024 andfurther information and guidance will
be issued in advance of this date toassist licensees with preparing for thesechanges.
The SERU assessment for taxi drivers
will be implemented from 1 October
2025. Further information and guidance,

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Appendix 1 – Consultation outcomes
Where the new requirements for taxi and private hire drivers are different, this is a resultof the differences in taxi and private hire legislation.
Licensee self-reporting (DfT 1)
We have made a slight modification to the consultation proposal for taxi andprivate hire drivers to explicitly re-state that cautions are included (as per thecurrent requirement).
Taxi drivers
We have amended the London Cab Order 1934 to include a prescribed condition
that taxi drivers inform us of any arrest and release, charge, caution andconviction within 48 hours.
The condition will apply to all licensed taxi drivers with immediate effect from 1
July 2024.
Private hire drivers
From 1 July 2024 all new and renewed private hire driver licences will be issued
with a condition that the driver informs us of any arrest and release, charge,
caution and conviction within 48 hours.
Private hire operators
We have amended Regulation 9(4) of the Private Hire Vehicles (London)(Operators’) Regulations 2000 to require all private hire operators to inform us of
any arrest and release, charge, caution and conviction within 48 hours.
Regulation 2 has also been amended to clarify and expand which individuals
associated with an operator’s licence will have to meet this condition, and to beconsistent with the requirement for operators to provide DBS checks (see DfT 7).
The revised condition will apply to all licensed private hire operators from 1 July2024.
Displaying complaints signage (DfT 2)
Taxis and private hire vehicles
All taxis and private hire vehicles will be required to display prescribed information.
The new signage will include:• Information about how to make a complaint to TfL

41

The manual• No-smoking sign
• Cycle safety sign
• Card payment information (taxis only)• Information for wheelchair users (taxis only)• Pre-booked only sign (private hire vehicles only)• Seatbelt sign
• Message advising passengers that abuse of drivers is unacceptable
From 1 July 2024, we will affix the signage in taxis and private hire vehicles at thenext annual vehicle licensing inspections.
Taxi drivers
We have amended the London Cab Order 1934 to include a prescribed condition ofa driver’s licence that the taxi they are driving is displaying the prescribed signage.
The condition will apply to all licensed taxi drivers with from 1 July 2025.
Private hire drivers
From 1 July 2025, all new and renewed private hire driver licences will be issued
with a condition that the private hire vehicle they are driving is displaying theprescribed signage.
Overseas criminal records checks (DfT 3)
We have amended our consultation proposal, after considering feedback from theconsultation, and reduced the period for which Certificates of Good Conduct must
be produced from the whole period since the applicant was 18, to the last 10 years
since the applicant was 18.
Periods of extended holiday will no longer be excluded from the requirement.
Taxi and private hire drivers
From 1 July 2024, all new and renewing applicants for taxi and private hire driver
licences, who have lived in a country other than the UK for one or more continuous
periods of three months or more in the last 10 years, will be required to provide a
Certificate of Good Conduct for any such period.

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Private hire operators
From 1 July 2024, all new and renewing applicants for private hire operator
licences, who have lived in a country other than the UK for one or more continuous
periods of three months or more in the last 10 years, will be required to provide a
Certificate of Good Conduct for any such period.
Driver DBS checks (DfT 4)
From 26 February 2024, all applicants for a taxi or private hire driver’s licence,both new and renewal, will be required to provide evidence of registration with the
DBS Update service.
Taxi drivers
We have amended the London Cab Order 1934 to include a prescribed condition
that any taxi driver whose licence commences on or after 26 February 2024
maintains continuous registration with the DBS Update service.
Private hire drivers
From 26 February 2024, all new and renewed private hire driver licences will be
issued with a condition that the driver maintains continuous registration with the
DBS Update service.
On 26 August 2024, we will commence undertaking six-monthly status checks with
the DBS on all taxi drivers who have subscribed to the Update service.
Safeguarding training and English language skills (DfT 5)
Private hire drivers
No change to current requirement.
Taxi drivers
We have amended the London Cab Order 1934 to create a requirement that all
new and renewing taxi drivers must take and pass an assessment of their safety,
equality and regulatory understanding (SERU assessment).
From 1 October 2025, no new driver may be licensed or renewing driver re-licensed
without having passed a SERU assessment.
We will continue to monitor taxi drivers’ English language proficiency during
the Knowledge of London examination process. If there is sufficient evidence
to suggest that the Knowledge of London does not sufficiently demonstratetaxi drivers’ English speaking and listening skills, we will reconsider the need to

43The manual

introduce a separate speaking and listening test similar to that undertaken byapplicants for private hire driver licences.
Vehicle owner DBS checks (DfT 6)
We will maintain the position set out in the consultation and not introduce any
additional requirements for either taxi or private hire vehicle owners.
Private hire operator DBS checks (DfT 7)
From 1 July 2024, all new applicants and renewing operators will be required toprovide a basic DBS check with their application.
We have amended Regulation 9 of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) (Operators’)
Regulations 2000 to prescribe a licence condition that will require all existing
licensed private hire operators to provide a basic DBS check each year within 28
days of the anniversary of the licence start date.
Regulation 2 has also been amended to clarify which individuals associated with
an operator’s licence will be required to provide DBS checks.
The condition will apply to all licensed private hire operators with immediate effectfrom 1 July 2024.
All basic DBS checks in relation to private hire operator licences are to be obtained
through our contracted service provider.
Private hire operator booking and dispatch staff (DfT 8)
We have amended Regulation 9 of the Private Hire Vehicles (London) (Operators’)
Regulations 2000 to prescribe a licence condition that will require that operators
maintain a register of booking and dispatch staff; andWe have amended regulation 16 of the Operator Regulations to require operators
to retain entries in the register for 12 months from the date any individual was lastavailable to take bookings or dispatch vehicles.
The amended regulations will apply to all licensed PHV operators from 1 July 2024.
From 1 July 2024, all applicants for an operator’s licence will be required to provide
a copy of their policy on employing ex-offenders with their application.

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Private hire operator booking records (DfT 9)
We have amended regulation 11 of the Operator Regulations to specify that thefollowing particulars must be entered in booking records:• the name of any individual that responded to the booking request• the name of any individual that dispatched the vehicle• the private hire vehicle licence number of the driver carrying out the booking• the vehicle registration mark of the vehicle used to carry out the booking The
requirement will apply to all licensed private hire operators from 1 July 2024.
Changing licensing policies and requirements (DfT 10)
Where appropriate, when there are changes in licensing requirements, we will
review the licences already issued.
Wherever possible, we will apply any new licensing policies immediately.

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Table-top discussions at the safety forum

TPH Driver Safety Forum
TfL's vision to eradicate violence andaggression from the workplace. Inspector
Glenn Smith of the Metropolitan Police
Service's TPH policing team explained
the need to report incidents andwhat licensees need when they report
them, and Helen Chapman, director ofLicensing and Regulation, reiterated TfL's
remit as a regulator.

Licensing and Regulation hosted a taxi
and private hire Driver Safety Forum on
Monday 16 October.
This event specifically explored the safetyissues licensed taxi and private hirevehicle drivers encounter.
Drivers are concerned about the verbal
abuse, and in some cases, physicalviolence that they are subject to, andin the case of female drivers, occasions
where sexual harassment (and assaults)
take place.

Table-top discussions sought ideas andproposals to improve driver safety, as it iseveryone’s responsibility and by working
collaboratively, it is hoped to strengthen
prevention, increase reporting andsupport victims of any form of abuse.

The forum was chaired by Stuart Reid,
head of Insights and Direction at TfL,
while Siwan Heywood, director of
Security, Policing, Enforcement set out

A Passenger Safety Forum will take placein December.

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New Knowledge school
In an effort to boost the numbers ofcandidates studying the Knowledge
of London, the Taxi Now Group, in
partnership with Gett, has launched a
new Knowledge school. The Knowledge
Academy opened in October at Gett’s
offices in Angel Gate, City Road andfifty students attended. They are being
offered free tuition with classes twonights a week.

Taxi Now Group is running a recruitment
campaign to get more students involved
from job centres and local social media
communities. Depending on the uptake,two further sites have been earmarked as
potential locations for more classes.

Classes are held every Tuesday andThursday from 17:00 to 20:00, andanyone interested in taking part should
go to Gett’s offices.

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The London Knowledge School
Lawrence Trading Estate, Askew Farm
Road, Grays, Essex RM17 5XE

Knowledge schools
There are several independent
Knowledge schools across London.
However, they are not controlled or
regulated by TfL.

Monday to Friday 08:00 to 20:00 withextended hours Tuesday to Thursday
until 22:00

E4 Knowledge School
Nuffield Gym, Chingford, New Road,
Chingford E4 9EY

The London Knowledge School is anextremely encouraging, friendly, school
based in Grays, Essex.

Fridays 14:00-17:00

Phone: 01375 371 247

Knowledge Companion
Run by green badge drivers, Knowledge
Companion aims to improve your visual
Knowledge of London by providing alibrary of on-line videos and a library ofphotographed and analysed points.

WizAnnUnit 2a, 16 Blount Street, London E14
Reception is open Monday to Thursday
10:30-14:00.

Phone: 07915 231 669
Knowledge Point School
94-95 Troutbeck, Robert Street, London,
NW1 4EJ

WizAnn Knowledge school offers classes,
apps and study materials at all levels.
Its introductory seminar for beginners isavailable on YouTube.

Monday to Friday 10:00-17:00

Phone: 07740 753488/020 3289 9114

Established in 1985, Knowledge Point has
online classes and facilities.
Phone: 020 7387 8658

48Thank you
At your service
Since 2009, volunteer taxi drivers have run a free Poppy Cabs service forveterans attending the annual Remembrance Day service and parade. This
year, on Sunday 12 November, veterans were carried on more than 1,000 taxi
journeys from stations across London to the Cenotaph.
Mike Hughes, Poppy Cabs Coordinator, said: ‘We have been providing the free
Poppy Cabs service for 14 years and every year it grows bigger and bigger.
The service is funded entirely by London cab drivers, often accompanied byfamily and friends, who volunteer their cabs and their time for free. Knowingthat the Poppy Cabs service is available relieves much of the stress forveterans attending this emotional event and every year we are overwhelmedby the support of the London cab trade and the men and women who give us
their time and vehicles.’A big thank you goes out to everyone who takes part in this wonderful event.

Serving those who have served their country49

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