Transport for London
London Taxi and Private Hire
Notice 21/12Taxi and Private Hire Trade – Open ForumsThe Taxi & Private Hire (TPH) directorate of Transport for London (TfL)regularly engages and communicates with representatives within the taxi andprivate hire trades as well as responding to and meeting with individual taxi and private hire drivers, vehicle owners and private hire operators. We accept that regular, effective communication with licence holders from both the taxi and private hire trade is very important and we should continually look to improve communications where we can.
In addition to our regular meetings, newsletter, email, Twitter feed, normal formal notice process and circulation lists we are looking to further improve the direct engagement across both trades have with us to ensure we provide regular ways in which licensees can communicate directly with me and the TPH team over issues that affect the trades.
As part of this ongoing engagement, TPH recently trialled a twitter Q&A session with senior members of the TPH team. This will become a regular feature on the @tfltph twitter account.
In addition I am pleased to announce that we are establishing regular open forums in which any licensee or trade representative can attend sessions to raise issues, questions and concerns they may have.
These forums will take place every 1 – 2 months and will alternate between the taxi and private hire trades. A panel consisting of myself and key staff will attend the sessions.
The first forum will be for taxi trade representatives and will take place on 29 November and the second will be for private hire trade representatives which will be held in January 2013. There will be space for approximately 50 attendees and attendance at each forum will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
The first forum for the taxi trade, will take place on Thursday 29 November 2012 between 17:30 and 19:30. To register your interest please email
TPHtaxiforum@tfl.gov.uk quoting your name, badge number and licence area (please state if All London). If applicable please let us know the name of the organisation you are representing. Formal attendance on behalf of driver groups will be will be limited to one person per organisation / association.
Separate notification will be sent out late December / early January with details of how to register your interest to attend the private hire forum which will take place towards the end of January. If you are associated with the private hire trade please do not respond to this notice but do keep an eye out for communication later this year / early next year.
My team and I look forward to seeing you at one of these forums in the future.
John Mason
8 November 2012 Director, Taxi and Private Hire