FOI request (FOIR-747887118)

Taxi and PHV Training Requirements

Requested Tue 09 September 2025
Responded Tue 14 October 2025

I am writing to you under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request the following recorded information relating to the training requirements for licensed taxi and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers within your authority.

For the purposes of this request, please include both Hackney carriage (taxi) and private hire vehicle (PHV) drivers, where data is available.

Please provide, where held, the following information:

1. The total number of licensed taxi and PHV drivers registered with your authority in each of the past five financial years (2019/20 to 2023/24 inclusive).

a. If possible, please provide a breakdown of driver numbers by licence type (for example, Hackney carriage, PHV, dual badge) for each year.

2. Whether your authority currently requires licensed taxi and/or PHV drivers to complete safeguarding training as part of their initial licence application and/or renewal.

a. Is this training delivered face-to-face, online, or both?

3. Whether your authority currently requires licensed taxi and/or PHV drivers to complete disability awareness training as part of their initial licence application and/or renewal.

a. Is this training delivered face-to-face, online, or both.

4. The total number of drivers who completed each type of training (safeguarding and/or disability awareness) in each of the past five financial years (2019/20 to 2023/24 inclusive).

5. The total annual spend by your authority on driver safeguarding and/or disability awareness training (if applicable) in each of the past five financial years. If training is paid for directly by drivers, please confirm this.

6. If safeguarding or disability training is required, how frequently must drivers repeat or renew this training (for example, every three years, one-off only, at each renewal)?

7. Does your authority maintain a central record of completed driver training (safeguarding/disability), or are drivers required to submit their own evidence?

8. Is your authority’s current taxi/PHV driver training policy or guidance publicly available online? If so, please provide a link or URL.

9. Does your authority provide any support or alternatives for drivers with low digital literacy, disabilities, or other accessibility needs when completing mandatory training?

If any of this information is not held or would exceed the cost limits outlined in Section 12 of the Freedom of Information Act, please advise how the request might be refined to remain within the appropriate cost threshold.

For clarity, if you are unable to respond to any specific question(s), I would still be grateful for responses to any parts of the request where recorded information is held. Partial responses are very much appreciated.

If it would be helpful, I am happy to accept the data in table or spreadsheet format.

The purpose of this request is to support a national audit of safeguarding and accessibility training standards for taxi and PHV licensing. We intend to publish a high-level summary of policy trends across UK licensing authorities and will be happy to share headline findings with participating councils upon request.

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Response

1.

2019/20 - 152

2020/21 - 277

2021/22 - 219

2022/23 - 389

2023/24 - 375

2. Safeguarding/Disability awareness training - the course they choose has to cover it all, this can be face to face or online.

3. Safeguarding/Disability awareness training - the course they choose has to cover it all, this can be face to face or online.

4. All our drivers have to complete on application, then 3 yearly.

5. Annual spend not applicable as the drivers pay for it themselves.

6. Safeguarding/disability training repeated every 3 years.

7. Drivers submit their certificate which we save and record.

8. https://www.hastings.gov.uk/content/taxi/Hastings_Borough_Council_Taxi_Policy.pdf

9. If it is made known to us then we will assist a driver on his application/training.